If there is one thing in my repertoire that I do as often as cereal, it’s pasta.  It’s easy cooking, satisfies carb cravings and is an excellent vehicle for cheese of pretty much any variety.  I like red sauce, but I rarely have any in my fridge or pantry.   I almost always have aglio e olio ingredients, however.  On this occasion, I also had an open bottle of red wine that was past its drink-by date (I know, how could I?  Believe me, I do know.) and some green veggies.  I took a nod from my David Rocco cookbook and made this drunken pasta.

Dining companion:  No Reservations:  New York’s Outer Burroughs

Cook pasta of your choice in boiling salted water until about 2-3 minutes shy of al dente, which is usually at least 2 minutes less than what the package tells you.
During the last minute or so of cooking, drop in your chopped asparagus and broccoli.
Meanwhile, saute a chopped clove of garlic and some chili flakes (to your heat preference, I do at least a teaspoon) in a few teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat in a pan, until fragrant and garlic is golden.
Add about two-thirds of a cup of wine and then raise the heat slightly.  Be careful of splatters.  Add the par-cooked pasta and veg to pan.  Stir pasta with sauce until wine has been absorbed by pasta/reduced to almost nil.
Salt, pepper, cheese.