This vegetable pasta recipe is representative of one of the quick dishes I make every week or two in our home.
Jump to Recipe
I use different vegetables based on what’s in the fridge, as well as the seasons. I believe this approach to pasta will be beneficial to you. There are four keys.
4 keys to a better vegetarian pasta:
• plenty of vegetables
• a sauce that isn’t tomato-based
• bitter elements
• a gluten-free pasta, or just less of it
When I say “better,” I mean a pasta dish that feels good in mind, body, and spirit, which is always my criteria when putting together meals.
This knowledge of recipe development comes from Ayurveda, which is the modality I practice as nutrition and digestive health coach.
Pasta can easily feel heavy in the tummy. The problem is that we crave it as comfort food, but then we don’t feel good after eating it.
Enjoy this fall vegetable pasta in lemony butter sauce, and experience the difference of eating the Ayurvedic way.
Jump to:
How to Make
To make this vegetable pasta, we’ll follow three simple steps.
The first step is to cook the pasta, the second is to create the flavor through a sauté, and the third is to combine the pasta with the flavorful vegetables. The sauce is included in these steps.
STEP 1 - Cook the pasta
To cook the pasta, simply follow the package instructions, and be careful not to overcook it, since it will get a couple of minutes of additional cooking time when you combine it with the vegetables.
I also recommend adding about a tablespoon of salt to the cooking water (add after the water starts to boil to avoid damaging your pot) and rinse the pasta after draining to remove the salt.
The salt flavors the pasta, but it’s not overwhelming since it’s rinsed.
STEP 2 - Cook the vegetables
You want to choose a pot that’s large enough to fit all the vegetables together with the cooked pasta.
Use a good quantity of butter to start your sauté, since you are creating a butter sauce.
Add red onions, garlic, black pepper, and dijon mustard. These are the aromatic elements of the dish.
Then you’ll add a splash of vinegar to deglaze the pot (the sour element), followed by the vegetables.
Here, we are using fall vegetables of celery, Brussel sprouts, zucchini, and Swiss chard or spinach.
Feel free to adjust the vegetable mix based on what you have in the fridge, as well as the seasons. Just keep in mind the cooking times.
You’ll want to start with the celery first and slice it thinly since it takes longer to soften.
The Brussel sprouts, zucchini, and Swiss chard can be added together. These veggies don’t take long to cook. Just about 5 minutes.
STEP 3 - Combine and finish
In the final step, you’ll add the cooked pasta into the pot with the vegetables and butter sauce. Add fresh lemon and taste for the lemon and salt. Add more if needed.
Enjoy as is, or consider a topping of cheese, nuts, lentils, meat, etc., for added protein.
Gluten-free Pasta
I’ve tried many types of gluten-free pasta. These days there are so many to choose from.
It wasn’t until recently that I found one that I really love: Jovial brand 100% organic brown rice gluten-free pasta.
It comes in penne, fusilli, lasagna, elbows, and much more! Buy jovial gluten-free pasta online
Other gluten-free pastas are made with corn, chickpeas, black beans, and even edamame and mung bean.
Maybe you already have a gluten-free pasta that you like? You can also use regular pasta. The addition of vegetables and the absence of a tomato sauce will help improve the digestibility of regular pasta as well.
Recipe for Fall Vegetable Pasta in Lemony Butter Sauce (Gluten-free)
Helpful Kitchen Tools:
- Medium saucepan - 3.5 quart (to cook the pasta)
- Large saucepan - 5.5 quart or skillet (to finish the pasta dish)
Ingredients
for the pasta
- 6 ounces dry pasta, cooked and drained
for the flavor
- 2 tablespoon butter, or ghee
- ½ cup red onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, (or similar vinegar)
for the vegetables
- 1 cup celery, thinly sliced on a diagonal
- 2 cups Brussel sprouts, stems removed, then halved or quartered (depending on their size; make equal)
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped (2 cups)
- ½ bunch Swiss chard , or spinach, washed and chopped (6 cups)
- ½ teaspoon salt
to finish
- ½ lemon, freshly-squeezed
Instructions
for the pasta
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Add a tablespoon of salt to the cooking water. (Add salt after the water starts to boil to avoid damaging the pot.) After the pasta is cooked, drain using a colander, rinse with cold water, and set aside until needed.
prepare the vegetables
- Chop the onions and garlic and keep them together. Chop the celery thinly on a diagonal and keep it separate. Trim the stems from the Brussel sprouts and then slice into halves or quarters (depending on their size), keeping the pieces a similar size. Chop the zucchini into bite-sized pieces. Wash and chop the Swiss chard into bite-sized pieces. You can include some of the smaller stems. For the bigger stems, you could either cook them with the celery, or simply compost them.
for the flavor and vegetable sauté
- Start a large saucepan or skillet on medium heat. Add butter. Once the butter melts, add onions, garlic, and black pepper. Cook until the onions just start to brown, then add the dijon mustard and white wine vinegar and stir.
- Add the celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the Brussel sprouts, zucchini, and salt; mix well using two spoons and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add Swiss chard, and a couple tablespoons of water. Cook, mixing frequently, until the vegetables are cooked.
to finish the recipe
- Add the drained and rinsed cooked pasta to the vegetable sauté. Mix thoroughly. Taste, then add fresh lemon and additional salt (if needed.)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Leave a Reply