FRESH FROM THE GARDEN SUMMER PASTA

My kids are already back in school but meal-wise, I’m still in full on summer mode. I tend to lean towards fresh, fast and light meals this time of year, particularly if I can incorporate vegetables from my garden!

This is one of those non-recipes I tend to make every summer. I measure nothing. It’s just a few shakes of this and a pinch of that type of thing. Adjust amounts to match your family’s tastes and what you have on hand- really anything goes! This meal can be made in about 20 minutes flat, so it’s really fast and everyone in our family really enjoys it. I use whole wheat pasta to make it more filling, so no meat protein is involved.

Looking for some healthy vegetable recipes? Try these:

Fresh from the Garden Summer Pasta
{feeds a family of 4-6, depending on appetites!}

1/2 a box of whole wheat linguine
1 medium sized zucchini {not a gigantor- save that for zucchini bread!}
1 medium sized yellow squash
1 good sized tomato
Olive Oil
Onion Powder {or dice and saute about 1/2 cup of red onion with the squash}
Garlic Powder or 1 tsp minced garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta according to package directions, adding in a few shakes of salt and about a TBSP of olive oil to the water. While the water is heating up, cube the vegetables, keeping the squash and tomato separate. Turn on a skillet doused in a few splashes of olive oil to low heat so that it can start warming up while you prep the rest of the meal.

When the water is boiling, put the pasta in and don’t forget to set a timer! No one likes mushy pasta. Mine called for 13 minutes, so depending on how much time yours takes, you’ll want to adjust the veggie times accordingly so that everything is done at once.

Add the zucchini and squash to the pan and saute on medium. Give the veggies a few shakes of onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. After about 5-6 minutes, the squash should start looking much softer. Add in the tomatoes. Remove from heat after another 3-4 minutes, when the tomatoes are heated through but not turning to mush.

Drain the pasta when it’s done and shake a bit more olive oil and onion powder to the top.

Now add everything to a serving bowl and toss together. Sprinkle about a 1/4 cup of Parmesan on top and continue tossing. If you have a few fresh basil leaves, add those! I sometimes like to serve strawberry smoothies to go along with the pasta.

Dinner is served – Enjoy!