Golden Pasta

by Pat Watson, NC
Serves 4 Time, start to serving: 30 minutes
Ingredients:

 

• 4 cups (two 32-oz boxes) vegetable stock
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp each basil, parsley, turmeric, paprika
• 1/2 tsp each oregano, rosemary, red pepper flakes, black pepper
• 1 large onion
• diced 2 large carrots, diced
• 2 cups rough chopped mushrooms*
• 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 inch ginger, finely diced
• 8 oz box rice linguine
• 1 cup peas (thawed if frozen) or cooked beans (any type)
• 2 cups (one 15-oz can) cooked sweet potato or pumpkin
• Salt to taste.

Directions:
(this is the easiest version, good for a quick after-work meal -- see below for variations)
Add stock, water, and olive oil into a large pot, add herbs and spices, and bring to a boil. While it's coming to a boil, chop onion, carrots, mushrooms (large chop),* garlic, and ginger and add to the pot as you go. When the stock comes to a boil, add the rice linguine. Stir often to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot (it’ll become thick). Place peas or beans in a large serving bowl. When linguine is done, use a pasta spoon to scoop most of it and the mushrooms out of the pot (draining each scoop a bit over the pot) and place in the bowl (scoop until you’re tired of fishing out noodles -- it’s okay to leave some behind). Stir the pasta a little with the peas or beans to warm them. Add the pumpkin or sweet potato in what remains in the pot and use a stick blender to puree. Add salt to taste. Pour as much of the sauce over the pasta as you like (we like lots!), toss, and serve with grated parmesan or romano cheese and fresh garlic bread.

VARIATIONS:
There are so many ways to jazz up this simple recipe.
(a) Sauté the vegetables in the pot with a little olive oil before adding the stock, for more depth of flavor.
(b) Put the sautéed vegetables in the pasta bowl and then put the stock in the pot.
(c) Use different mild vegetables in the stock (chop the green ones large enough that they’ll scoop out with the pasta before pureeing) -- fennel, celery, cauliflower, whole baby spinach, green beans, summer squash, etc.
(d) Grate 2 cups of parmesan or romano cheese and mix into the sauce after pureeing for a golden cheese sauce.
(e) If you’d like more raw food, you can add any of the vegetables raw to the bowl with the pasta, plus chopped fresh tomatoes and herbs.
*You can use 1 cup of dried mushrooms and 1 extra cup of water (2 cups total) -- just add to the stock without soaking. Use pieces big enough to scoop out with the pasta.