Pasta Primavera

Wow, this has been a busy week at LWYH!  And by busy, I mean that your humble blogger has had a lot to share... are your eyes tired?

Well, finally, we have come to a post that is similar to one that came before it: cooking!!  I love to cook.  I love recipes that surprise you with things you would never, ever think to put together, but even more, I love recipes that use the good ingredients.  I love when you have to actually smoosh the fresh cherry tomatoes rather than open a can of diced.  I prefer to make a thick, delicious sauce from locatelli cheese, cream and butter, rather than open store-bought alfredo.  You would think such a busy woman would be a fast food person.  But no.  Cooking is up there on my priorities list.  I love it, even if I'm falling asleep at the stove.

I have a close friend who is a Pampered Chef consultant, and to her great delight, I am a PC addict.  {They don't have support groups for us yet.}  I own crazy gadgets, useful dishes, and, of course, a few entertainment pieces.  Because Pampered Chef has made old cooking ways completely obsolete, when I pass recipes on to friends I have to transpose them from the quick, easy "PC way" to the old-fashioned way first.  I will try to do that with this one.

Please note that I am not trying to sell Pampered Chef, but it may come across that way.  I do love it, you know.  (Of course, should you wish to order anything, click here and they'll hook ya up.)  ;-)

First, a word about the dish I used.  It's called the Deep Covered Baker. 

This puppy is made of stone, with a ceramic glaze on the outside.  That means it's microwave safe.  Microwave.  Yes, you cook dinner in this thing in the microwave.  I use it all the time.  Truly!  It doesn't even have its own special spot in my cabinet!  It moves from the drying rack (because PC stones must be washed by hand with no soap) to the 'prep' area.  It never gets a break, poor thing. 

PC recently came out with a must-have: the recipe book specifically designed for my cranberry friend.  Perhaps some day they'll sell these as a set, but for now, they're separate. 

Note the cover photograph -- none other than the Primavera!



I'm not an expert on copyright laws, but I'm pretty sure I'd lose my "VIP Customer" status if I showed you a picture of the recipe itself.  So to be fair, I'm going to talk about the ingredients, but I will not be putting the exact measurements here.  I hope I don't get myself in trouble.

You will need:

1. Linguine
2. Chicken Broth
3. Cream Cheese
4. Heavy Cream
5. Lemon pepper rub (I didn't have any, so I popped to the store and picked up a McCormick substitute)
6. Carrots
7. Snap Peas
8. Broccoli
9. Mushrooms
10. Red Pepper
11. Garlic
12. Onions
13. Chicken (optional!)

To begin, add the chicken broth, pasta, garlic, cream cheese, and heavy cream to the covered baker, along with some of the lemon pepper spice.  Cover and microwave until the noodles are soft and the sauce is thick.  Stir occasionally.

If you are making this the old-fashioned way, cook your noodles separately from your sauce.  You can combine the broth, garlic, cream cheese, heavy cream and lemon pepper in a saucepan, on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until thick.

If you're using chicken, cut into small pieces and cook with garlic, lemon pepper spice, and onions.  Remove from heat.

Cut your vegetables into preferred sizes.  For me, this means I sliced my carrots and diced my peppers.  I also sprinkled a little lemon spice on these, so they didn't feel left out.

Once your noodles are soft and beautiful, stir in your vegetables and chicken. 

If you do not have the covered baker (and I'm sorry if you don't!), use a large pot, or serving bowl, that will hold all of your ingredients, and carefully stir together. 

Husband prefers for nothing to be crunchy, so I always microwave it another minute, then let it sit, so the vegetables can get a little soft.  Personally, I'd eat it crunchy and enjoy the heck out of it, anyways.  This recipe is simply Delish!! 

Good eats!

~ Sarah