Good reasons to make pasta with vegetables
This pasta with vegetables relies on seasonal ingredients which provide natural sweetness and texture. Boiling the pasta and frying the vegetables at the same time makes the process very efficient. The olive oil and garlic create a light sauce that coats everything evenly without being too heavy. It is a versatile meal because you can easily swap ingredients based on what is available in your fridge.
How to prepare pasta with vegetables
Boil the pasta: Fill a large pot with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring it to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the water but keep a small cup of the cooking liquid for later.
Prepare the vegetables: Wash all the vegetables thoroughly under cold water. Chop the broccoli into small florets and dice the peppers and courgette into even pieces. Peel and mince the garlic cloves.
Fry the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli, peppers, and courgette and cook until they are tender but still have some bite. Stir in the garlic during the last minute so it does not burn.
Combine and serve: Add the cooked pasta to the frying pan with the vegetables. Pour in a little pasta water and toss everything together over the heat. Season with salt and pepper and serve with grated parmesan on top.
Important tips for pasta with vegetables
Always use salt in the boiling water to give the pasta more flavour from the start. You can add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end to make the pasta with vegetables taste even fresher. If you want a little heat, add a pinch of dried chilli flakes to the oil when frying the garlic.
Cutting the vegetables into similar sizes ensures they all cook at the same rate. Frozen vegetables also work well if you are short on fresh ingredients. Make sure not to overcook the pasta as it will continue to soften slightly when mixed with the hot vegetables.
You can also try these recipes:
salmon en croute,
stuffed pumpkin or
tuna salad with red onion.