This easy vegetable pasta combines spaghetti with colorful roasted vegetables! It’s a healthy dinner idea to fill up on the good stuff.
No matter how many healthy and easy meal ideas we have in our repertoire, we always need another one. Here’s our new idea for stocking up on good things: here is Pasta for vegetables! It’s a combination of comfort food and a healthy vegetarian meal that combines roasted vegetables with light marinara and parmesan cheese. How to prepare this delicious vegetarian pasta!
elements in these vegetable pastes
This vegetarian pasta is the best combination of lots of veggies and the homey feel of great spaghetti marinara. When it came to vegetables, we wanted to select colorful vegetables with optimal nutrition. Here’s what you need (of course you can substitute any of your favorite vegetables):
- cauliflower
- broccoli
- pepper (Red and yellow)
- Onion
These vegetable pastes are packed with vitamin C! Half a pepper provides 84% of your daily vitamin C intake, and a serving of cauliflower provides 77%: not to mention other nutrients and vitamins. It’s a great way to eat your veggies while sipping on a bowl of pasta. (See more on the nutrition of peppers and cauliflower).
Add more vegetables
Lots of different veggies fit into this veggie pasta recipe! You can add about 8 ounces of additional veggies to the amounts in the recipe below. But beware: the quantity is important. You need to spread all the veggies over two baking sheets without stacking them (otherwise the veggies will steam instead of fry). Here are some other veggies that would taste good here:
- Mushrooms (add 8 ounces to other veg amounts below)
- Cauliflowercut in two
- sweet potatoesto dice
- Green beans
- asparagus
Protein additives for vegetable noodles
This veggie pasta recipe is a tasty dinner idea if you want to bring veggies into your life. But remember: You need to supplement it with protein for a hearty meal. Here are some ideas of what to add, either in the pasta itself or as an accompaniment:
Tips for cooking pasta al dente
The key to this roasted veg pasta recipe, aside from the veggies? Cook the pasta to perfection al dente. Al dente means “until the bite” in Italian: tender pasta with a firm core. Overcooked pasta becomes rubbery and unappetizing: it actually contains fewer nutrients and is less filling! Here are some tips for cooking pasta al dente:
- Set your timer for a few minutes Before the instructions on the package indicate this. The timing of many pasta wraps results in overcooked pasta. Start tasting the pasta minutes before it says so on the package.
- Test the taste and look for a small white spot in the middle. You want to catch it when there is a little white spot in the heart or when it disappears. Move fast: pasta can go from al dente to overcooked in seconds!
Vegan variant
How do I serve this vegetable pasta as a vegan? There’s an easy swap: omit the parmesan or use this homemade vegan parmesan! It’s made with cashews, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast, adding a nice splash of savory flavor. It’s not mandatory here, but it enriches the recipe.
More Vegetable Pasta Recipes
There are so many delicious ways to add veggies to your pasta! Here are some great pasta recipes that provide healthy dinner ideas:
This Roasted Vegetable Noodles recipe is…
Vegetarian. For vegans, plant-based and dairy-free, omit the parmesan or use vegan parmesan.
The description
This easy vegetable pasta combines spaghetti with colorful roasted vegetables! It’s a healthy dinner idea to fill up on the good stuff.
- 1 Medium head cauliflower (2 pounds)
- 1 Broccoli ring (¾ pound)
- 1/2 big or 1 semi-sweet yellow onion
- 2 Peppers (1 red and 1 yellow)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 2 cups Favorite Jar Marinara Sauce
- ¼ cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, plus more for serving (omit for vegans or use vegan parmesan)
- Options: Stir in 2-4 ounces of softened goat cheese for a creamy sauce
- Protein Supplements: Chickpeas, kidney beans, edamame, vegan meatballs, sautéed chicken or shrimp
- Set oven racks to roast 2 trays. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the cauliflower and broccoli into florets. Slice the onion. Cut peppers into strips. Divide the vegetables evenly between the 2 leaves.
- Drizzle half of the olive oil on each sheet, then sprinkle half of the spices on each sheet. Toss the vegetables with your hands until well coated.
- Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes (do not stir!). Remove the mussels from the oven, flip and cook for a further 10 minutes (30 minutes total) until tender and lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente. Set the timer a few minutes less than the package directions say, then taste: the pasta should be just cooked through and still slightly firm. Drain the noodles and put them back into the pot. (If it’s done before the veggies, toss with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.)
- To the saucepan with the pasta, add the marinara sauce, roasted vegetables, and parmesan. Taste and season to taste. If using, stir in goat cheese and serve with extra protein as a side dish or in pasta. Garnish with additional Parmesan.
- Category: main course
- Method: pasta
- Kitchen: American
- Diet: vegetarian
Keywords: Vegetable noodles, roasted vegetable noodles, vegetable spaghetti
