Since the switch to plant-based eating, I have really loved choosing a wide variety of vegetables for our meals. And let’s face it – vegetables are very photogenic. The colors are so vibrant!
I’ve been looking forward to summertime, when more vegetables are in season so the prices are lower. During the winter, a bunch of asparagus was nearly $4! Now it’s less than $2!
I grew up in a gardening family. We planted several acres of gardens every summer. Squash, okra, corn, peas, beans, tomatoes. I can remember Daddy waking us up on Saturdays during the summer at the crack of dawn so we could pick peas before it got too hot. And we would be up late that night, shelling them – our fingers stained purple from the pea hulls. I went to church on many Sunday mornings, showing off those purple fingers like a badge of honor! And then, Mama found out that you can remove the stains with lemon juice, and I never got to show off again!
Mama and Daddy still grow a garden these days – much smaller than the ones we helped with. But they always share! They bring me squash and okra and tomatoes – and we gobble them up! Sometimes, they bring so much that I share with the neighbors!
This dish is perfect for summer! It uses two of my favorite vegetables – zucchini and squash – but it’s very versatile and could really use any vegetable that you have on hand. I’ve made it with mushrooms, eggplant, and even fresh tomatoes.
You need a few things to make this:
A large skillet. This is my favorite piece of cookware that I own:
A good stockpot to boil your pasta I love this one because it has a built-in strainer:
If you don’t have a pot with a built-in strainer, this is a wonderful tool to have. You can use it to scoop out cooked pasta or use it when you’re frying. It’s called a spider. You can get them with all kinds of handles. I like this one because it’s solid stainless steel:
Vegan Pasta Primavera
- 1 pound of pasta
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced
- 2 medium squash, sliced
- 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 6 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup of vegan Parmesan
- A handful of fresh parsley, chopped finely
- Boil pasta in salted water, according to package directions.
- In a large skillet, drizzle olive oil and add the vegetables.
- Saute veggies on high heat until tender.
- Add all other ingredients and whisk over medium heat until thickened. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
- Add cooked pasta to the sauce. If sauce is too thick, add a couple of ladles full of the starchy pasta water while stirring over low heat. This will ensure your dish is creamy.
Well Duh #1: Don’t drain the pasta. Use a spider or other strainer or even a big slotted spoon to transfer the pasta into the skillet. You’re going to need that pasta water!
Well Duh #2: Cook time depends on the vegetables you use. Mushrooms are going to take a lot longer than zucchini. If you use tomatoes, add those after everything else is pretty much cooked and only saute those for a few minutes.
The tribe LOVED this dish! It is creamy and delicious and doesn’t taste plant-based at all. I say that because my teenagers are getting a bit weary of this way of eating, but they both really liked this dish. No complaints or grumps and Christopher did not feel the need to make a clandestine trip to Taco Bell afterward!
Try this quick, easy dish. It will quickly become a favorite!
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