It is no secret that I am essentially a meatetarian, however occasionally the body, waist and mind calls for something clean and light.  A large dose of veggies with a few strands of spaghetti thrown in is not a bad option.  Make no mistake, what this dish lacks in meat it makes up for in flavour.  Crisp greens, buttery mushrooms and a spicy, citrusy tang = thumbs up!

Ps.  Feel free to play around with the veggie content!

Prep time:  15 Minutes             Cooking time:    12 Minutes               $  Low Budget

Serves 4

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

400gm of spaghetti

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp of dried chilli flakes

rind of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup of dry white wine

1 red onion, halved and sliced

1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends trimmed and sliced diagonally

1 small broccoli floret, roughly chopped

1/2 a yellow capsicum, sliced into thin strips

200gm of button mushrooms

2 cups of baby spinach & rocket leaves

12 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

Grated parmesan cheese and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to serve

Sea salt and cracked black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions.

Heat a large frypan and add 1/2 the oil.  Lightly fry the onion until soft and add the chilli, garlic and lemon rind.  Fry for a minute or so until fragrant and then add the mushrooms and capsicum.  The mushrooms will absorb a fair amount of oil so add a little more if needed.  Once the capsicum is starting to soften, increase the heat of your pan and add the tomatoes, broccoli and asparagus, stir fry for a couple of minutes and then add the lemon juice and white wine.  Season well with salt and pepper.

Drain your pasta and add it and the spinach and rocket to the pan with the rest of the oil.  Toss the pasta well to combine.

Divide among four serving bowls and top with a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil.