Anytime Tomato Primavera Sauce

• 3 cups or so total of the following in any colorful combination:
• Zucchini, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• Small broccoli florets on short stems, about 1 inch wide (slice if necessary)
• Asparagus stalks, trimmed and sliced on the bias into 3/4-inch pieces
• Green beans, trimmed and sliced on the bias into 3/4-inch lengths
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Or equivalent amounts of cut-up cauliflower, peppers, leeks
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, cut in 1/4-inch-thick half-moon slices (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 fat garlic cloves, sliced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried peperoncino (hot red pepper flakes)
• 2 cups fresh mushrooms, stems trimmed, sliced 1/4 inch thick, or a mixture of cremini, common mushrooms, and shiitake (caps only)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (half of a 35-ounce can) canned San Marzano or other Italian plum tomatoes, with juices, crushed by hand into small chunks
• Boiling salted pasta-cooking water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano
• 8-quart pasta-cooking pot
• A large bowl with ice water
• A 12-inch or larger skillet for the sauce and the pasta

1. Fill the pasta pot with salted water (1 tablespoon kosher salt to 6 quarts of water) and bring to a boil.
2. Fill the large bowl with ice water.
3. When the pasta water is boiling vigorously, dump in the cut vegetables and peas, bring the water back to the boil, and cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes.
4. Scoop out the pieces with a spider or strainer, drain briefly, and drop into the ice water to shock them.
5. When theyre thoroughly chilled, let them drain and dry in a colander.
6. Keep the water in the pot boiling so you can cook the pasta as you make the sauce.
7. Pour the olive oil into the skillet, scatter the onion slices in the oil, and set over medium-high heat.
8. Cook for 1 minute, tossing to coat the onions with oil.
9. Strew the garlic slices and peperoncino in clear hot spots of oil, and cook them until theyre sizzling, another minute or so, then stir in with the onions.
10. Dont let them darken; lower the heat if they start to color.
11. Scatter the mushroom slices in a clear part of the skillet, and sprinkle on the 1/2 teaspoon salt.
12. Cook and stir them separately for 1 minute or so, until sizzling, then stir them in with the onions.
13. Pour all the crushed tomatoes and juices into the skillet, and stir in with the sauteed vegetables.
14. Slosh 1 cup of hot pasta water around the tomato container, then stir that into the skillet.
15. Heat the sauce so that its actively bubbling all over, and cook at a gentle boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
16. Add pasta water if the sauce is thickening or sticking.
17. Drop all the cut, blanched vegetable pieces into the skillet, and stir them into the sauce.
18. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 2 or 3 minutes or more, until the blanched vegetables are cooked thoroughly but still al dente.
19. If the pasta is not ready, turn off the heat so the vegetables dont get soft.
20. Just before adding the pasta, stir in some hot pasta water to loosen the sauce if it has thickened, and return it to a simmer.
21. To dress any pasta with tomato primavera, toss and cook them together, following the procedure on page 105.
22. Remove the skillet from the heat, and toss in the 2 tablespoons olive oil and the cheese just before serving.
23. Fresh whole-wheat pasta is particularly good with this all-vegetable sauce.
24. Or any of the whole-wheat dry pastas (or regular dry pastas) in short tubular shapes, such as ziti or campanelle.

combination, zucchini, broccoli florets, stalks, green beans, frozen peas, cauliflower, extravirgin olive oil, onion, garlic, peperoncino, fresh mushrooms, salt, san, boiling salted pastacooking water, extravirgin olive oil, freshly grated parmigianoreggiano, water, larger skillet

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/anytime-tomato-primavera-sauce-384437 (may not work)