This vegetable loaded summer pasta is an excellent way to use all the fresh zucchini and tomatoes growing in your garden. I know I start to run out of ideas on how to use my zucchini so this is a great one and makes a lot of food—excellent for leftovers! I don’t know about you but I’m always looking for a good dish to reheat and take to work. This vegetable loaded summer pasta recipe can be made gluten free and vegan by making a few small adjustments. It takes a little bit of time to prep all the vegetables but once that is done, the cooking goes really fast!

This recipe makes a lot and could easily feed a family of 6 or so.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 lb Italian sausage (you can leave this out if you’re vegan)

• 8 oz spaghetti (I use Bonza chickpea pasta for extra protein and to keep it gluten free)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 container (10 oz) cherry tomatoes

• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• salt & pepper

• 5 garlic cloves minced

• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn

• 2 zucchinis grated

• 1 cup roasted red peppers chopped

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

• 4 cups spinach coarsely chopped

• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 lemon

• Serving options:

  • Parmesan cheese

  • fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Prep your vegetables: cut the cherry tomatoes in half, mince the garlic cloves, grate the zucchinis on the large holes of the grater, chop the roasted red peppers, coarsely chop the spinach, and cut the lemon. If you’re using fresh corn, be sure to slice off the kernels.

2. Boil a pot of water and salt for the pasta.

3. Heat a large cast iron that will hold the entire dish once it is finished. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat. Add the Italian sausage and break it up as it browns. Once it is cooked and no longer pink, use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove the sausage on a paper towel-lined bowl or plate and set aside. If there is more than 2 tablespoons of grease left, drain some.

4. In the same cast iron pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the cherry tomatoes, corn, red peppers, zucchini, and garlic. Add the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Continue to saute, stirring frequently, for around 5-7 minutes or until a lot of the excess liquid has evaporated.

5. Once the pot of water and salt is boiling, cook the pasta according to the package instructions.

6. Once the vegetables have been cooked, reduce the heat to low. Add the heavy whipping cream and 1/3 cup parmesan cheese. Bring to a low simmer for about 1-2 minutes until it has thickened. Add the chopped spinach, cooked sausage, pasta, and a squeeze of lemon. Use tongs to combine it all. At this time, if you need to make adjustments to the consistency, you can use leftover water from the pasta or add more heavy whipping cream to thin the sauce. Add another 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese and toss. Allow it to emulsify on low for a minute or two until everything is really combined and the sauce coats the pasta.

7. Serve and top with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!

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