This is a great summer meal when the fresh veggies are plentiful and the tomatoes are ripe and delicious. The only caveat is that this really isn’t a traditional “sauce”, but more of a vegetable topping for pasta, so you might want to encourage people add a little olive oil to taste at the table. Makes 2 to 4 servings.
1/2 pound cooked pasta (any variety)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
8 sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon wine
1 small sliced zucchini
1 sliced summer squash
1 chopped roma tomato
1 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
salt, freshly ground black pepper or other spices to taste
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms and wine. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until mushrooms start to soften.
Add zucchini and summer squash. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes until vegetables have softened.
Add tomato, spinach, basil, salt and pepper. Add water, vegetable broth or a little more oil if it seems too dry. Cook for at least 3 to 4 minutes, but you can cook a little longer if needed.
Variations
- Add sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, pine nuts and / or artichoke hearts.
- Experiment with other vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower and bell pepper.
- Make a smoky version with grilled zucchini and summer squash, but reduce the sautéing step to 1 minute, since they are already cooked
- Add 1 8 ounce can tomato paste for more tomato flavor.
- Can be easily made low-sodium.
- Make a gluten-free version by serving over another grain.
More information for Pasta with Fresh Veggies recipe:
- Prep time: 15 min
- Cook time: 15 min
- Total time: 30 min