When schedules are hectic, a successful quick dish in my kitchen is one that doesn't make a huge mess, uses minimal cookware and has some nutritional value. Garden Primavera is one such dish.

When schedules are hectic, a successful quick dish in my kitchen is one that doesn't make a huge mess, uses minimal cookware and has some nutritional value.

Garden Primavera is one such dish. It's chock-full of summer vegetables, uses common pantry ingredients and comes together in a snap.

Key to this dish is the angel hair pasta, which cooks in four to six minutes, and cooking the vegetables with the pasta during the last two minutes.

Angel hair pasta is my go-to pantry staple because it cooks so quickly and is versatile. The vegetables cook just enough with the pasta that they are crisp and tender but not mushy. You can cook them longer if you like. But be sure to cut them uniformly so they cook evenly.

One issue with pasta dishes is keeping the pasta warm while making the sauce.

I like to pour the sauce on just before serving so the pasta gets a nice hot coating. To keep the pasta warm while finishing the sauce, I recommend:

Draining the pasta into a heatproof colander, leaving about 1 inch of pasta water in the bottom of the pot. You should be able to set the colander inside the pot so it rests on the rim.

Place a clean kitchen towel over the colander — not touching the pasta. The heat from the water and pasta will keep the pasta warm until ready to serve.

Drain some of the pasta cooking water into a large serving bowl and leave it there while you make the sauce. When ready to serve, pour out the water and wipe the bowl with a paper towel. Add the pasta to the bowl and pour the sauce over. The warm bowl will keep the pasta warm.

Because it uses heavy whipping cream, the sauce with this Garden Primavera is a fat and calorie splurge. You can substitute a light cream, which is sometimes labeled coffee cream, or half-and-half; just don't bring it to a boil or it will curdle.

Gently heat it, whisking in more flour or cornstarch as needed to reach a desired consistency. Fat-free half-and-half will hold up better to the heat and provide more of a sauce-like consistency.

1 tablespoon kosher salt12 ounces angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti or other favorite long pasta2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces½ cup sliced carrots1½ cups fresh asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces1 small zucchini or summer squash (or both), washed, thinly sliced1 small red pepper, washed, cored, thinly sliced2 tablespoons butter2 cloves garlic, minced1 small onion, sliced¾ cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth2 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 cup heavy whipping cream½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese2 green onions, washed, ends removed, thinly sliced¼ cup fresh snipped basilBring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the kosher salt. Add the pasta and return to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the green beans, carrots, asparagus, zucchini and red pepper. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. When the pasta is done, drain it along with the vegetables and rinse lightly with cold water to keep the vegetables from cooking further. Transfer to a warmed serving platter.Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add the onion and sauté about 4 minutes, or until just tender but not brown. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat. Stir the flour into the whipping cream and stir into the chicken broth mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add the cheese and green onions. Cook and stir about 2 minutes more. If the sauce seems too thick, pour some of the reserved pasta cooking water in to thin.Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with snipped basil and more shredded Parmesan if desired.<i>Adapted from www.mixingbowl.com. Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.</i>