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My Veggie Spaghetti is so Good
This veggie spaghetti is one of those dinners I throw together when I’ve got a bunch of vegetables sitting in the fridge and no desire to do a ton of dishes. Everything cooks in one pot, even the pasta, and it turns out sort of like a light veggie-packed sauce with spaghetti stirred right in.
The sauce gets its flavor from garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning, and the cherry tomatoes burst just enough to give everything that slow-simmered feel without actually having to simmer anything for an hour. I don’t follow any strict rules when making this veggie spaghetti. Sometimes I use whatever veggies I have, skip the cheese, or throw in a handful of basil if there’s some left.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Veggie Spaghetti Ingredients
- Spaghetti: Dried spaghetti is best, fresh style pasta will cook too quickly for this style of recipe and won’t absorb liquid the way dried pasta can. You could also use linguine or fettucine.
- Onion and Garlic: Yellow, white, or even sweet onions will work here; use whatever you’ve got. Fresh garlic is best, but in a pinch, you could use ½ teaspoon garlic powder instead.
- Olive Oil: You can swap it for avocado oil or even butter if that’s what you have.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes, or even chopped plum tomatoes would work.
- Fire Roasted Canned Diced Tomatoes: I love the pleasantly smoky flavor of fire roasted tomatoes, but plain diced will work, or swap for 1 cup of marinara sauce.
- Summer Squash and Zucchini: Use all summer squash or all zucchini, depending on your preference and what you have on hand.
- Tomato Paste: Builds the base of the sauce. If you don’t have tomato paste, try a spoonful of marinara sauce as a substitute.
- Seasoning: Salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Add crushed red pepper for a slight kick.
- Parmesan Cheese (Optional): If you’re avoiding dairy, nutritional yeast or a dairy-free Parmesan alternative can be used instead.
How to Make Veggie Spaghetti
Veggie Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 medium zucchini halved lengthwise, then sliced
- 1 medium summer squash halved lengthwise, then sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 14.5 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 5 cups water
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese optional
- Fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- In a large, deep pot, add olive oil and set over medium heat. Once sizzling, add onion, zucchini, summer squash and salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the garlic, cherry tomatoes and Italian seasoning and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to soften.
- Add the tomato paste, stirring to coat the vegetables, followed by the diced tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil, then add spaghetti and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 12 to 14 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil and more parmesan cheese, then serve.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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Recipe Tips
- Keep the Pasta Moving. This style of pasta is based off the method for cooking risotto. It’s important to keep stirring the pasta to prevent it from sticking and make sure it cooks evenly. It also helps release the starch into the liquid, which makes the final sauce nice and creamy.
- Use A Large, Deep Pot. Make sure not to skip this direction in the recipe; you want to have enough room for the spaghetti to fit without having to break it in half.
- Trust your Taste Buds, not the Clock. All dried pasta will cook differently so use the 12 to 14 minutes of cooking time as a guide. Begin tasting your pasta after about 10 minutes and add more cooking time as needed. If your pasta is taking a long time to cook and the sauce is almost absorbed, add additional water ½ cup at a time until the pasta is cooked through.
Serving Ideas
This Veggie Spaghetti is hearty enough to serve on it’s own, but here are just a few recipes I love pairing it with.
