Pasta recipes are always a favorite – especially the ones with added veggies! This delicious summer recipe combines your favorite kind of pasta with zucchini or squash (or both!) with basil and fresh parmesan. This is an excellent idea for lunch or dinner because it can be enjoyed hot or cold.
Adding vegetables to any meal can increase feelings of fullness and satisfaction. Because vegetables have lots of fiber, they help keep our digestion regular and add more volume to our meals with minimal calories. Not to mention they’re delicious and have tons of vitamins and minerals!
This recipe calls for Aleppo-style pepper. If you’ve never heard of Aleppo-style pepper before, they are very similar to crushed red chili flakes but with a more mild form of heat. If you don’t have this specific kind of pepper, you can always use regular black pepper or chili flakes in a smaller portion!
Recipe adapted from bonappetit
Makes 5 servings
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 pounds assorted summer squashes or zucchini, quartered lengthwise, sliced
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo-style pepper, plus more for serving
- 12 ounces paccheri, ziti, or other large tube pasta
- ½ cup Parmesan, grated, plus more for serving
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup basil leaves, divided
Directions:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add garlic, stir until fragrant. Add squash, turn heat up to high and cook for 12-15 minutes. Add 1 tsp of Aleppo-style pepper and toss.
- While squash is cooking, add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
- Once al dente, transfer pasta to skillet with squash. Add reserved pasta water and parmesan cheese. Toss in lemon juice and fresh basil and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
For 1 serving: 430 calories, 15 g total fat, 3 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 160 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 14 g protein
