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–+ servings
A plate of garden pasta topped with cherry tomatoes, diced zucchini, eggplant, fresh basil, parsley, and shaved parmesan cheese on a white plate.
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Easy Garden Pasta

This easy Garden Pasta is a quick meatless dinner filled with summer vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil. Inspired by the flavors of ratatouille, it’s fresh, colorful, and perfect for using garden or farmers’ market vegetables.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 346kcal
Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried pasta like angel hair or other long pasta
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 zucchini quartered and sliced
  • 1 Eggplant I prefer a Japanese eggplant, quartered and sliced
  • 1 yellow squash quartered and sliced
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes halved
  • 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup fresh basil leves
  • salt and freshly cracker pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add zucchini, eggplant, and yellow squash. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic, cherry tomatoes, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more.
  • Stir in the pasta and fresh basil leaves to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add additional olive oil if needed. Transfer to a large serving bowl and mix in the parmesan cheese. Serve in pasta bowls with extra cheese for each serving.

Notes

  1. Pasta: Use your favorite pasta shape for this recipe. Short pasta, spaghetti, linguine, or even a higher-protein pasta all work well.
  2. Prepping the Vegetables: For the best texture, cut the vegetables into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
  3. Serving: If the pasta seems dry when tossing everything together, add a splash of reserved pasta water or an extra drizzle of olive oil.
  4. Variations: This recipe is flexible. Bell peppers, corn, spinach, mushrooms, or extra tomatoes can also be added depending on what you have on hand.
  5. Vegan: To make it vegan, omit the Parmesan or use a dairy-free alternative.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 317mg | Potassium: 471mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 720IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 269mg | Iron: 3mg