This Spring Veggie Pasta is an easy and healthy spring or summer recipe made with light and refreshing ingredients like zucchini, yellow squash, basil and lemon. Easy to throw together in less than 30 minutes!
Nothing screams “SPRING” quite like the return of bright and colorful produce, and this Spring Veggie Pasta dish is the perfect way to incorporate some of those yummy veggies, especially zucchini, yellow squash, kale, fresh basil and baby heirloom tomatoes. It’s light, it’s refreshing, it’s bright — basically everything you want a meal to be as the days get longer and hotter, right?
Ingredients in this Spring Veggie Pasta
Pasta: we love using Banza chickpea pasta. It’s a great gluten-free option that also contains a good amount of plant-based protein and fiber, which helps to balance blood sugar — yes, even as pasta!
Zucchini: such a quintessential spring veggie, right?!
Yellow squash: yet another classic spring veggie. If you can’t find both zucchini and squash, feel free to use double of both!
Kale: anytime I can squeeze in some leafy greens, I will — they’re great to help support the body’s natural detoxification system! I used lacinato kale in this one.
Garlic: firm believer that all good recipes include garlic. I used about 1/2 tbsp pre-minced garlic, but fresh is always great!
Basil: this adds so much great flavor to the dish, it’s like the cherry on top!
Lemon: trust me, a squeeze of lemon really brightens up the dish
Baby heirloom tomatoes: I threw these in at the very end as more of a garnish to add extra color. You could saute them up with the other veggies if you wish!
Parmesan: I love the saltiness of Parmesan with the citrus from the lemon. We used a dairy-free version of Parmesan from the brand Violife.
How to Make Spring Veggie Pasta
The beauty of this meal is that it is essentially a one-pan meal…except you technicallyyyyy need 2 pieces of equipment: a large pan, and a large pot. But, that’s not too shabby, right?!
Start off by sauteing the veggies in some olive oil or ghee with ample garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. While that goes down, bring a large pot of water to a boil to make the pasta. Drain the pasta then add to the pan with the veggies. Next, add in the lemon, basil and Parmesan; toss everything together to coat and enjoy!
We paired this Veggie Pasta Dish with some pan-seared chicken for additional protein, but that’s totally optional! We cooked the chicken in the same pan as the veggies, but did the chicken first. Just cut up the chicken as desired and sear in a hot pan in olive oil or ghee, then season with same spices as veggies.
Spring Veggie Pasta and The Plate Method
If you’ve been following me on IG for any span of time, you’ve likely heard me talk about the Plate Method — basically, it’s an easy, simple approach to building balanced meals that help you feel full + satisfied, fuel your body with the nutrients it needs, improve energy levels and squash cravings. It includes non-starchy veggies (aiming to take up half the plate), protein, healthy fats and carbs.
This Spring Veggie Pasta can fit within The Plate Method!
Non-starchy Veggies: zucchini, yellow squash, kale, garlic, basil, tomatoes
Protein: if you use chickpea pasta, it will protein ample protein. If not, you can pair with something like chicken, fish, or shrimp
Fat: extra virgin olive oil or grassfed ghee
Carbs: any type of pasta will work here!
Grab the recipe below! With the chickpea pasta and vegan Parmesan, this makes for a yummy gluten-free, dairy-free pasta dish everyone can enjoy!
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- 1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large zucchini, quartered
- 1 large yellow squash, quartered
- 1/2 bunch kale, destemmed and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 package pasta of choice (we love Banza chickpea pasta)
- Handful fresh basil, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped baby tomatoes
- To taste sea salt and ground pepper
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan (we used Violife dairy-free parmesan)
Ingredients
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- Wash and chop all produce. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add in veggies and saute for 7-10 minutes or until tender. Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- While veggies cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add in pasta and cook according to package. When done cooking, drain from water and add pasta noodles to pan with veggies.
- Add in chopped basil, squeeze of lemon, and desired amount of Parmesan. Toss to coat, then serve. Top with additional basil, lemon, baby tomatoes, and cheese as desired š ENJOY!