QUICK VEGGIE PASTA

This is your weekly reminder that not every meal has to be complicated. Sometimes you can throw what you have in a pot or skillet and get great results. These meals are usually prepared using a basic template, but I like to play with the ingredients. My favourite “whatever you want” recipe is this Quick Veggie Pasta. You can add meat or vegan to it with just one ingredient swap.

WHY THIS VEGETABLE PASTE IS SO DESIGNS ABLE

This is my favourite type of quick, delicious, and satisfying meal. You don’t even have to measure it. It can be used with any pasta or any vegetable. You can also experiment with the seasonings. It’s easy, delicious, and takes very little mental energy. 🙂

PASTA OPTIONS

This recipe can be made with any pasta type and any amount. You can use short or long portions of pasta or even small portions like couscous and orzo. This is fantastic because I rarely use a whole box of pasta at once, so I always have small quantities of random pasta in my pantry that I need to use.

This tip may make purists squeal their pearls, but I recommend breaking long pasta into half before cooking. It makes mixing chunky items (such as vegetables) easier into the pasta. Instead of vegetables being pushed to the edges of the pan with a clumping of pasta, you can mix them in.

VEGETABLE OPTIONS

You can use any vegetable, just like pasta. This recipe can also be made with frozen mixed veggies. It was delicious! You can also adjust the number of vegetables you use. You can use it more or less depending on your preference. Grape tomatoes, spinach, and mushrooms were the vegetables I used today, but many other great options exist.

Kale
peas
corn
Avocado (will give the pasta a creamy texture)
Edamame
Broccoli
Carrots
zucchini
bell pepper
green beans
onion (red, yellow, green)

To swap out vegetables, you should add them to the skillet in the order they are hardest to most soft. To ensure that the vegetables don’t overcook, it is best to put a hard vegetable like the carrot in the skillet first.

What is NUTRITIONAL YEAST?

Nutritional yeast, a deactivated Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is used in food seasonings to add nutrients. It is yellow and has a flakey texture that blends well with sauces. This pasta dish is dominated by nutritional yeast, which adds depth and flavour to the dish. It also contains tons of umami.

There are usually other non-refrigerated foods that nutritional yeast can be found in grocery stores. Common brands in major grocery stores like Bragg’s or Bob’s Red Mill. However, I’ve also seen other stores selling nutritional yeast under their brand names, such as Trader Joe’s or Kroger.