Eat it! Kitchen Sink Veggie Pasta | Bread & Butter

Yes, you read that right, Kitchen Sink Pasta, as in everything but the.

Everyone needs a staple, go-to dish. Growing up we all bemoaned Mom's announcement that spaghetti was for dinner, yet again. (Twice in a week?) But as I've grown into my own kitchen, in my own house I've begun to understand the need for a quick fix, reliable dish to turn to when I have a fridge full of my usual veggies but want a dressed up, super satisfying spin on Mom's simple pasta solution.

The best part about Kitchen Sink Pasta is that you can use whatever you have on hand interchangeably, which means convenience as well keeping a simple dish fresh. Though the vegetables I include below are what I had for my last meal of it (pictured).

Ingredients:
1 box of Rotini or Penne pasta
1 jar of your favorite red pasta sauce
1 bundle of asparagus
1 quarter of red onion, diced
1 package of Baby Portabella Mushrooms, sliced
2 hand fulls of sweet red grape tomatoes, halved
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 teaspoon of dried rosemary, oregano, thyme
(or 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning blend)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a splash
bleu cheese crumbles
salt and pepper to taste

Pull all your preferred veggies and fresh herbs out of the fridge and wash them well. Bend your asparagus spears until they break (where they will). Discard the tough base pieces, and drop the tender tops into a bowl (if you want more bite sized pieces of asparagus slice your spears in half before setting them aside).

Slice and dice your bell pepper, mushrooms, onion into attractive similarly sized pieces and add them to the bowl of asparagus. Peel your clove of garlic and finely dice.

Halve your grape tomatoes and pluck 6, or so, fresh basil leaves off the stem, set aside for later.

Fill your stock pot with the amount of water you think you'll need to cover your pasta. Eyeball it! Remember less is greener. Salt the water with a few pinches. Place over high heat and cover with a lid.

Time to multitask!

Add your pasta to your boiling water, and cook uncovered (for whatever the box recommends for the type you're using) until al dente. While your pasta is cooking, place a saute pan, large enough to accommodate all your veggies (we use a wok for convenience), over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the pan.

When your pan is at temperature, drop in your garlic and (carefully) add your reserved bowl of veggies to the pan (not your tomatoes yet!). Sprinkle in your dried herbs and a little salt and pepper and stirring every couple minutes.

After a few minutes, your mushrooms will begin to shrink and your pepper and onion will sweat. Cover your saute pan with the lid from your stock pot (or if the pan you're using has one). This will trap the steam and help finish cooking your asparagus. When your vegetables are tender remove from heat and set aside.
When your pasta is al dente, strain your pasta and return to your stock pot. Drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil and toss. Stir in your cooked veggies, basil leaves, halved grape tomatoes and jar of pasta sauce.

Serve, garnished with a sprinkle of bleu cheese.
Serves a small army (!) or provides yummy leftovers for days.

So now it's out for all to see, my versatile answer to Mom's meal staple.