Greater than the sum of its parts.

Let me just begin by saying that this will be a blog about my three great passions in life. In order of importance they are my family, cooking, and makeup, of course. My children and husband are like most, not great lovers of vegetable matter. Not one to give up easily, I have come up with ways to make them more appealing. Now, I know you are probably thinking, " This woman is going to create some silly little recipe with veggie stars, smiley faces, or train tracks". I assure you the following recipe is pleasing to both the adult and minion population. In fact, it is an attractive dish worthy of being served as a hearty lunch for friends or a light dinner for family. You could actually use it as a tasty side dish to some grilled meat or fish. The secret to this pasta dish is to carefully cook its components, or should I say slightly under cook both the veg and spaghetti. Children are typically repelled by mushy vegetable. I concur with that opinion, few things are worse than soggy, sulfurous cauliflower or slimy zucchini. Make sure to use a good quality spaghetti. I used plain white pasta, but, this would be terrific and healthier with the whole wheat version. I personally have had issue with the grittiness of whole wheat pasta in the past, however, I recently used the Whole Foods 365 brand. I found it to be quite good. Overall, this pasta is so delicious and is truly an example of a dish being greater than the sum of its parts.

   Ingredients:
 1 box of spaghetti... I used the Costco brand sold in bulk. I cooked it quite al dente in salted water.
 1 jar of marinara sauce.... I like the cheapo Hunt's in the can found for like 80 cents or so
3 or 4 cloves garlic sliced very thin....think the scene in Goodfellas where he shaves the garlic lovingly.
A couple of tablespoons of olive oil
1 large Italian zucchini chopped into large dice
Half of a head of cauliflower blanched and cut into florets.
1.5 cups of mild shredded cheese... I used mild cheddar, but really the choice is yours. You could use mozzarella, provolone, or just Parmesan. If you use Parmesan reduce the amount to 3/4 cup as it is quite salty.
red pepper flakes optional
salt to taste
basil to garnish optional

Saute garlic carefully in oil taking care not to scorch. Add zucchini and cauliflower saute until they begin to become tender but are still crunchy. Add the tomato sauce and the al dente pasta. If it looks too tight you can add some of the pasta cooking water to thin out. Let simmer for a couple of minutes and sprinkle with the cheese of your choice and stir. The cheese adds richness, flavor, and serves to thicken the sauce. Enjoy!