Lemon Pepper Pasta

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked pasta (I like to use bowties for this)

2-3 cups vegetables (peas, chopped green beans, chopped spinach, chopped asparagus, and chopped broccoli are all good choices here – any of these or a combination – you can use fresh or frozen – for the peas, you can use canned but if doing so, you should add them in near the end of the sauteeing process so they don’t get mushy)

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 tsp. lemon pepper

3 T. lemon juice

1 can (15-16 oz.) cannellini beans, drained

Instructions:  Cook the pasta according to package directions to al dente.  Saute the vegetables, lemon peel, and lemon pepper in olive or vegetable oil.  (Note:  some Mrs. Dash table blend is really delicious in this too!)  Once the vegetables are tender-crisp, stir in the beans and lemon juice (now’s the time to add the peas too if using canned peas) and cook until heated through.  Toss this mixture with the cooked pasta and serve.  Note: If not needing a meatless dish, adding some pieces of cooked chicken to this is really yummy too.  A friend of mine prepares this dish with cooked shrimp in it instead (I’m allergic to shellfish but she says her family loves it this way!).