Vegged-Out Pasta

This is a dish I’ve been making for a long time.  In an effort to lose weight (through many efforts that is), I moved toward using more vegetables with pasta since pasta is so calorie heavy when it’s eaten on its own.  Bring veggies into the mix and you not only have a healthy meal, but you’ve volumized your plate without really knowing it.

I like that you don’t need a lot of pasta in this recipe.  A typical serving is 2 oz.  Each serving here is 1 oz because there are so many vegetables that will keep you filled and satisfied.

I most recently have been trying new grain pastas.  They have come a long way since eating the ones of past that made your mouth hurt from chewing!  This one from Ronzoni is pretty good, but you can always use regular white pasta or Barilla has a nice protein pasta that I’ve also used.

The veggies here are roasted.  I have found they are easier to digest and have such a depth of flavor.  I suggest you roast even more than the recipe calls for so you can use them for side dishes, on flatbreads or inside a wrap.

I’ve used a jarred marinara sauce but I’ve also made a more savory version of this recipe by using a purée of butternut squash as a sauce, adding mushrooms and kale and subbing Gruyere cheese for the mozzarella.  That recipe will definitely show up soon!
Feel free to use other veggies. It’s a great way to clean out your fridge! I also like using broccoli, asparagus, eggplant and cherry tomatoes. Combinations are endless! 

Recipe – Serves 3

4 cups of vegetables for roasting (zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and Brussels sprouts)
1 tablespoon of olive oil or vegetable stock (or nonstick spray)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning or oregano
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
2 cups of spinach, chopped
1/2 cup of frozen peas
3 oz of whole grain penne pasta
1 1/2 cups of jarred pasta sauce (I used Emeril’s marinara)
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
Basil, Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Chop vegetables into 1/2 inch cubes, keeping them as uniform as possible. Spray with nonstick spray or toss in 1 tbsp of olive oil or vegetable stock.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and toss to coat.  Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and softened. Set aside.

In a large bowl add spinach and peas.  Cook pasta until ‘al dente.’ Drain and add to bowl along with the cooked vegetables. Add pasta sauce and stir to coat.  Spray a 2 quart baking pan with nonstick spray and spoon in the vegetable mixture.  Top with mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes until thoroughly heated and the cheese melts.  Top with basil, Italian seasoning or oregano, and Parmesan cheese.