Just Got Engaged Vegetable Pasta

Before I knew Russ Lange, I had a catering business on the side. The majority of people who worked for me at catering jobs were my gay male friends in Washington, DC. They were the best educated waiters and bartenders, who were lawyers, doctors and business men during the day, but loved the fun of working one of my parties at night.
More than one of those men used to tell me that whomever was going to marry me would do it for my cooking. They were gay, what did they know about who would marry me.
This week twenty-five years ago Russ and I had a whirlwind romance where for the first ten days I did not cook one thing for him. On the tenth day, at last the time came for me to cook him something. He had no food in his house so we went off to the Acme supermarket and before we could get out of the car, in the heat of the July night, he said, “I can’t wait anymore, will you marry me?”
That night I made a pasta dinner of many summer vegetables cooked up in a fry pan.  
“Oh my god, this is the best meal I have ever eaten,” he said after his first bite.
It was probably the endorphins of love that made him feel that way, but one thing was for sure, he wanted to marry me before he knew I could cook.
Today I made a pan of similar vegetables, but since we rarely eat pasta anymore we just have them over chicken. Holding out for a man who married me for me and not my cooking was a great thing. That being said, love comes and goes, but good cooking lasts forever. 
You can use whatever vegetables you have. His just happens to be what I had today.
1 red onion- chopped

20 mini eggplants – cut in half

20 okra – cut in thirds

1 sweet red pepper chopped

2 pints of cherry tomatoes- halved

3 cloves of garlic-minced

Crushed red pepper flakes

30 basil leaves – chopped
Heat a big nonstick fry pan on medium high and spray with cooking spray. Add the onions and cook for two minutes, tossing it twice. Add the eggplant and spray with a little more cooking spray. Cook for two more minutes – stirring only once. Add the okra and cook for three more minutes, stirring once a minute. Add the red pepper cook another two minutes.
Add the cherry tomatoes and cook another two minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook two more minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes to your taste and salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and add the basil.
Delicious over pasta, rice or just as a side dish. It won’t get you married, but it will make your spouse happy.