Whole Wheat Pasta With Pesto and Vegetables
Yield:
8 servings
Time:
30 min
Ingredients
- 1/2 box (~4 cups) whole wheat pasta (bow-tie or rotini)
- 2 broccoli heads, chopped
- 1 zucchini squash, sliced
- 2 yellow squash, sliced
- 5-6 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare all of your vegetables ahead of time. Slice the zucchini, yellow squash and carrots to a uniform size to ensure they cook evenly. Cut the broccoli into small florets and dice the red bell pepper. Mince the garlic as well.
- Heat the olive oil to medium heat in a large skillet—make sure it’s large enough to fit all of the vegetables.
- Cook your whole wheat pasta according to the package instructions while heating the olive oil. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Add minced garlic to the olive oil until fragrant.
- Add the harder vegetables to the skillet first, as they will take longer to cook. Start with carrots, move them around the pan, and continue.
- Add broccoli florets next, followed by yellow squash and then zucchini with about a minute in between each. Stir to prevent them from burning.
- Add red bell peppers last and mix.
- Add pesto and combine all of the vegetables thoroughly.
- Add salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.
- Using a spider strainer or a similar tool, transfer the drained whole wheat pasta onto the skillet. Combine it well with the vegetables and pesto, making sure it’s well coated and seasoned.
- Transfer to a plate and add Parmesan cheese at the end.