Easy Pasta with Fresh Vegetables

This is a quick and easy pasta and veggie recipe that I just have to share with you. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard; it’s as easy as grabbing some fresh veggies and sauteeing them up with some olive oil and a few other basic ingredients. Today’s post is a celebration of veggies and the hardest part of making this is cutting up all the veggies. Add some freshly-grated Parmesan at the end and you’ve got yourself a delicious vegetarian pasta meal.

I could technically call this an easy pasta primavera since primavera means spring and we all know spring veggies are a delight, but this pasta dish is meant for any time of year and can be customized with your choice of veggies. The only trick here is to make sure you add the longest-cooking veggies first and then work your way into the quickest-cooking veggies towards the end.

Want a perfect clean-out-your-fridge pasta? This is definitely it!

Pasta with Fresh Veggies Recipe

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 large sweet white onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 sweet bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tablespoon each kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 small yellow summer squash, diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used a mix of portobello and shiitake in this batch)
• 1 cup diced asparagus
• 4 roma tomatoes, diced
• 3/4 – 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 lb. dried pasta, cooked about 2 minutes less than package directions – you’re going to finish cooking it with the veggies and sauce.
• Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions

• Prepare a large stockpot for the pasta by filling it with water and adding 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Have the water boiling and add the pasta right before you add the squash.
• In a large, high-sided skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering, about 3 minutes
• Add peppers, onions, and garlic and toss well
• Cook for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, just until peppers start to soften
• Stir in salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano
• Add summer squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and asparagus. Toss well and cook about 7 minutes, tossing occasionally
• .Add tomatoes, broth, and 1/4 cup of the hot pasta water and toss well
• Using tongs, pull the pasta out of its water and transfer to the pan with veggies and sauce
• Toss well and cook for about 2-3 minutes, tossing occasionally, until pasta is al dente
• Transfer to a large serving dish or separate serving dishes, top with freshly-grated Parmesan, and serve.

If you love pasta and you love veggies, this is a delicious way to enjoy them both. I was a pescatarian for a number of years and in that time I learned to make a lot of things with veggies, fish, and pasta.

So, if you’re looking to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, this is an easy way to go. As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, you can customize the veggies to suit your taste and whatever veggies you have on hand. Again, just be sure to add your longer-cooking veggies such as peppers, broccoli, etc, before you add quicker-cooking veggies such as tomatoes and greens.

Never, ever be afraid to play with your food. Enjoy!