~Amanda~
Summer cooking is my absolute favorite because of all the fresh ingredients available. Nothing tastes as good as a meal made with fresh ingredients, especially when they’re coming straight from the garden! Our dad has planted the most amazing vegetable and herb garden this summer and everything is finally coming in. I was at their house the other weekend and as I was going through the garden picking fresh herbs and vegetables, I was inspired to make a fresh and delicious dinner with as many of the ingredients from their garden as I could. The result was this amazing Fresh Summer Vegetable Pasta. I made it using fresh zucchini and tomatoes from the garden as well as a homemade pesto made with fresh basil from the garden. I also added in some red pepper that I bought at the farmers market that morning!
I am obsessed with pasta (yes, I know that’s weird because I’m gluten-free, but my love for pasta will never go away) and pasta is the perfect base for this dish with all these fresh garden vegetables. I have posted this in many of my recipes before, but my all time favorite gluten free pasta is the Ancient Harvest Garden Pagodas. I have found them at every grocery store in our area, so hopefully you can too! This pasta is great to try even if you’re not gluten free; it’s made with quinoa and corn as well as dried spinach, beet, and red bell pepper… the perfect pasta for a veggie pasta dish, plus it has the same great texture as regular pasta. If you don’t use this pasta, definitely use one with a similar shape and texture. I love all the little crevices in the pasta as they catch and soak up all the delicious homemade pesto!
To make the dish first prepare your pesto; you can buy store-bought , but there is honestly nothing better than homemade pesto. Homemade pesto is so quick and easy to make and it is totally life changing (find our recipe HERE!). Next, cook your pasta according to the package instructions until just al dente and set aside. Now it’s time to cook up all those delicious vegetables! Start by sautéing the zucchini and bell pepper in a pan for about five minutes and then add the tomatoes and sauté for another couple of minutes. You want everything to be warm and cooked through, but still firm and somewhat crisp. Once the veggies are done, stir in the pasta and pesto and let everything combine and heat through. Serve topped with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (this really makes all the flavors pop) and some Parmesan cheese (because cheese makes everything better) and enjoy!
- 8 ounces pasta of your choice (I use Ancient Harvest Garden Pagodas)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium zucchini, cubed
- 1 red bell pepper, cubed
- 3 medium tomatoes, cubed
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 cup pesto (see recipe for our homemade pesto in our blog)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until just al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, sauté the vegetables; heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the zucchini and bell pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes then add the tomatoes. Sauté for another 3-5 minutes until just cooked through but still somewhat firm.
- Add the cooked pasta and pesto to the sauté pan with the vegetables and stir to combine.
- Serve topped with fresh lemon juice and some parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
