Pasta with Vegetables
Submitted by sherri
Low-fat pasta with dry-sauteed vegetables in fat-free spaghetti sauce. Chunky onion, pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini over pasta with Parmesan. A quick vegetarian weeknight dinner.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minThis is a 30-minute vegetarian pasta dinner built on a clever technique: dry sauteeing. The vegetables cook in a nonstick skillet with no oil at all, which keeps the dish low-fat while still getting some browning and caramelization on the mushrooms, onions, and peppers.
The order you add the vegetables matters. Onions go first because they need the most time, then bell pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini last since it cooks fastest. Cutting everything into large, chunky pieces is the key instruction here. Small dice would turn to mush by the time the sauce heats through. Big chunks keep their texture and give each forkful some satisfying bite.
Fat-free spaghetti sauce goes in at the end just to heat through, coating the vegetables without drowning them. Everything gets spooned over pasta and topped with grated Parmesan.
Kitchen Tips
- Don’t overcrowd the dry skillet. The vegetables need contact with the hot pan surface to brown. If they’re piled up, they’ll steam instead.
- Keep the chunks ½ to ¾ inch thick. This gives them enough mass to stay firm through cooking and saucing.
- Stir between each vegetable addition to redistribute heat and prevent sticking.
- Egg-free pasta is specified here, but any shape works. Choose something with ridges or tubes to catch the chunky sauce.
Variations
- Roasted vegetable version: Toss the cut vegetables with a spray of oil and roast at high heat instead of dry-sauteeing for deeper caramelization.
- Protein boost: Add canned white beans or chickpeas with the sauce for extra protein and fiber.
- Fresh herb finish: Toss with torn fresh basil and a squeeze of lemon juice right before serving for brightness.
Ingredients
Directions
Start a pot of water on high for the pasta, and put a large non-stick skillet on medium high heat (no added lubrication.)
When the water boils, dump the pasta in and look at the clock.
Meanwhile, wash and cut up the veggies in the sequence given, dumping each into the skillet and stiring before going on to the next.
The key to this recipe is to cut the vegetables into large enough chunks, and not to overcook them.
Cut onion into quarters, then slice about ¾ inch thick.
Likewise for the pepper, removing stem, seeds, and soft parts.
Cut mushrooms in half, or quarters if larger.
Cut the zuke in half lengthwise, then slice ½ inch thick.
When the pasta has boiled for 10 to 12 minutes, take it off and drain it.
Check that the vegies are not still raw, then pour the can of sauce in with them.
Divide the pasta onto serving plates while the sauce is heating.
Stir the sauce, and when it’s hot through, spoon over the pasta.
Top generously to taste with the phony parmesan.
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