Instructions: Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil in a large pot. Add dried pasta, and cook to al dente-to the tooth- (just soft enough so that it still must be chewed). Drain in a colander. For fresh pasta, turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and hold water on warm until the vegetables are almost done before you cook the pasta. Put oil and garlic into a large skillet. Turn the heat to medium and cook the garlic just until it begins to color, not beyond or it will burn and be bitter. Add the vegetables in the order that they will cook, starting with those that will take the longest. Move them constantly with a spatula so they will not overcook in one spot. For fresh pasta, reboil the water at this point, and cook the pasta during final minutes of cooking the vegetables. Drain. Add the herbs to the vegetables and mix to distribute. When the vegetables are almost cooked (still a bit too crunchy), add canned tomato and crushed pepper flakes, turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 3-4 mi! ! ! nutes to blend the flavors. Taste and add kosher salt if necessary.

NOTES : This quick, easy, and straight forward pasta recipe has been dinner hundreds of times in my house. Timing is important: fresh pasta cooks in 3 5 minutes, but dried pasta takes up to 12 - 15 minutes. I usually cook dried pasta first, drain it, toss it with 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil and cover it while the vegetables cook. To serve, transfer the cooked, drained pasta to the plates (with tongs) or to a pasta platter. Ladle the vegetables over the pasta and garnish each serving with 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4
servings.

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