Vegetable Vermicelli

Photo: flickr user avlxyz

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Unsalted butter

pound Brown, white, or oyster mushrooms

1 tablespoon Minced garlic

1 medium Leek, white and light green parts washed

1 teaspoon Freshly-cracked black pepper

2 teaspoons Salt

1 small Turnip peeled

1 medium Carrot peeled

1 small Zucchini with skin

1 Yellow crookneck squash with skin

pound Chinese snow peas

1 Tomato peeled, seeded,

and diced

cup Tomato juice

1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice

cup Water - (to ¾ cup)

1 cup Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound Vermicelli

Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Chopped fresh chives for garnish

Preparation

Clean all vegetables and slice into fine julienne, 1/16-inch by 3 inches.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms until slightly colored. Add garlic, cook briefly, and reduce heat to moderate. Add leeks with cracked pepper and cook about a minute. Then add salt, turnip, carrot, zucchini, yellow squash, and snow peas. Cook until vegetables soften, about 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes, tomato juice, lemon juice, and water. Bring to a boil and whisk in remaining tablespoon butter. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.

Meanwhile, bring a large stockpot of salted water to a boil. Cook vermicelli until al dente. Try to time it so that pasta is done just when vegetables are cooked. Drain, transfer to vegetable mixture, and toss to combine. Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan and chives. Serve immediately.

This recipe yields 6 servings.