Half soup, half pasta – all hearty and filling. I love one pot meals especially when it’s cold, and believe it or not, it’s COLD in San Diego. Hail greeted me in the backyard when I came home from errands today! So a warming, vegetable laden meal soaked in hot chicken broth is just what my family was craving.

Packed full of vegetables, it’s all you need for a cozy evening in.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

1 12 oz. package gluten-free spaghetti (my family prefers bionaturae)
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 c. diagonally sliced carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
1 c. sliced broccoli
1 c. sugar snap peas cut in half diagonally
1/2 c. sliced red pepper (omit for nightshade allergy)
3 c. chicken stock
1-2 cloves garlic
parmesan cheese to taste (optional)

1. Set two large stock pots of water to boil – one for blanching vegetables and one for cooking the pasta.
2. Into the pasta pot, add oil, salt and spaghetti and cook according to the package, stirring frequently so pasta won’t stick together.
3. Into a large bowl, add 2 handfuls of ice cubes, fill with water and set aside to chill.
4. While pasta cooks, drop all vegetables into blanching water for 1-2 minutes until al dente. When cooked through but still firm, strain veggies and plunge into the cold water bath to halt cooking. (This also preserves their color).
5. While veggies are cooling, add chicken stock to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
6. When spaghetti is cooked, strain and place in serving bowl. Strain vegetables from cold water and add to pasta along with hot chicken stock. Add 1-2 freshly pressed garlic cloves and combine. (The heat of the pasta cooks the garlic ever so slightly).
7. Serve in bowls with a fork and a spoon along with plenty of stock. Drench in parmesan if you can.