Description
Oh yeah, we’ve got some serious summer pasta vibes up in here! This fresh, comforting, and oh-so-delicious Vegan Parmesan Veggie Pasta dish is brimming with summer stars: zucchini and yellow squash yumminess. Toasty pine nuts, hearty navy beans, tasty pasta, nourishing garden veggies, and vegan Parmesan cheese makes for a delicious dinner that has everyone running back for seconds. This dish is filled with all your favorite healthy wholesome ingredients.
Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
- 2 small zucchinis, small dice *
- 2 small yellow squash, small dice *
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup vegan white wine *
- 1 cup vegetable broth *
- ½ cup water (or broth)
- 1 teaspoon miso *
- 1 – 15.5 oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 to 10 oz. penne pasta (or pasta of choice)
- ¼ cup Vegan Parmesan Cheese (plus additional for topping) *(see notes)
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
Other Optional Ingredients:
- Oven roasted grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- Toasted pine nuts
- Chopped parsley
- Red pepper flake
Instructions
- Fill a medium stock pot with water to boil the pasta.
- In the meantime, place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- In the same large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven/pot (or similarly large stockpot) add the diced onion, zucchini and squash, sauté over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes to slightly heat up, then add the finely minced garlic and sauté over medium heat for one minute.
- Add the white wine and cook for a few minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
- Add the vegetable broth, miso, and water, then increase the heat to a boil, add the Seasoning/Herb ingredients, stir well, then immediately lower to a low simmering boil.
- Simmer for 4 minutes, then add the navy beans, simmer for a few minutes. Simmer until the veggies reach the desired tenderness.
- In the meantime, cook the pasta, once the pasta is al dente, drain and rinse the pasta with cold water (to stop the cooking process and to remove excess starch). Shake to remove any excess water, then add the pasta to the veggie mixture, stir to combine, and simmer for a minute or two, to marry the flavors. Remove from the stove and stir in ¼ cup Vegan Parmesan Cheese, allow to sit undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the flavors.
- Serve topped with additional Vegan Parmesan Cheese, roasted tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, some freshly chopped parsley and red pepper flakes.
Notes
*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
*Zucchini/Yellow Squash: You can use all zucchini or all squash or a combination of the two – just as long as the total equals 4 cups.
*Miso: We used Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free. Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil. You can also substitute with chickpea miso for a soy free version.
*Toasted Pine Nuts: Place the pine nuts in a nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat, gently push them around the dry skillet, moving them constantly until they turn golden brown, then immediately remove the skillet from the heat, and remove the toasted pine nuts from the skillet. Be careful, they burn easily.
*White Wine: We used Vegan Sovereign Blanc White Wine, or any vegan dry white wine will work equally well. It adds dimension. The alcohol burns off and you are left with this beautiful nuance of flavor. You do not have to add the white wine, you may need to ramp up the flavors if you leave it out, as well as replace the liquid with some veggie broth.
*Vegan Parmesan Cheese: Our Vegan Parmesan Cheese has cashews and almonds, which helps to create a rich flavorful vegan cheese. If you wish to reduce the fat intake, lower the quantity of Vegan Parmesan Cheese or use a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast to omit the fat completely. Keep in mind these adjustment will alter the flavors. You may need to increase the other seasonings and spices to compensate.
*Oven Roasted Grape or Cherry Tomatoes (optional): The oven roasted tomatoes are optional. Some family members loved them while others did not. Simple preheat the oven to 400 F, place the tomatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until the skins of the tomatoes start to wilt and wrinkle (about 5 to 10 minutes), remove from the oven, sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt and pepper, then place them on individual servings, if desired.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: 4
*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 5 days.