Happy Tuesday! If you are like me you spent yesterday doing all kinds of fun family things and now your house is trashed… holidays are a catch twenty-two aren’t they? Have an awesome day of fun and relaxing but then you have to make up for it the following day times ten. This is such a great pasta dish that comes together in a snap, so plan on it for tonight so that you don’t have to think about dinner or take too long getting it ready. Garden vegetable pasta is just what you need.
This pasta is all things good in your garden made into a simple sauce that is chock full of goodness and flavor. I chose to use canned or home bottled tomatoes in the recipe because working with fresh garden tomatoes in a sauce adds a lot of extra steps. Everything else can come from the garden or farmer’s market and you can make it with or without meat (see the notes of the recipe for details). It’s such a forgiving recipe and one that I make often in the summer when my garden is full of yummy things to eat.
So gather up some veggies, boil up some pasta, and add a heavy hand of fresh cheese – you won’t regret it.
Dinner is done.
Garden Vegetable Pasta
- Yield: Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground meat such a sausage or hamburger (optional)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 small zucchini, chopped or grated
- 1 small yellow summer squash, chopped or grated
- 2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes or 1 quart home-canned tomatoes
- 2 14-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup chopped basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- more salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound fresh cooked pasta
- freshly grated Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet brown the meat until cooked through and no longer pink. Drain extra grease from the pan. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and cook until the squash starts to release it’s liquid and then cook for another 5-10 minutes until part of that liquid has cooked off.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil and salt. Stir to combine well and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 15 minutes.
- Salt and pepper to taste and then serve over hot cooked pasta with grated Parmesan.
Notes
To make this without the meat, simply omit the meat and sub in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to saute the onion and bell pepper in. We really like it both ways. Hot Italian sausage is excellent in it though.
This garden vegetable pasta is great served along with:
Crusty Italian Bread (if you have some time)
Easy Bread Sticks (if you don’t have much time)
Whole Wheat Ciabatta Bread from Wholefully
Now that dinner is planned you’ll have some time to get something done today! What’s on your list?
Thanks so much for stopping in and reading… where would I be without you all? One lonely blogger. You guys are the best.
Looks yummy!
Thanks Amy!!
That sounds so delicious!!!