Although I often enjoy spending multiple hours preparing elaborate meals, there’s a certain joy in creating a delicious simple meal in just half an hour. This pasta is perfect for that as the three main components can easily be prepared in parallel, and all of them are fairly straightforward. I always admire versatility in recipes, and this one is most certainly versatile; use almost any pasta or veggies to customize your meal.



(adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta *

* 1 large crown broccoli, chopped

1/2 lb snow peas, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses **

** 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

5 Tbsp butter

parmesan or gruyere cheese, grated

*I used fusilli pasta, but this would also work well with penne or rigatoni.

**Pomegranate molasses is a staple in my cabinet; find it at a Middle Eastern market (or even in some grocery stores these days!) or make your own (recipe forthcoming). Trust me, you will find many excuses to use this sour-sweet syrup – vinaigrettes, desserts, and marinades are all greatly enhanced by its presence.

Method:

