Summer Harvest “Parmesan” Pasta
Meal planning for me lately has been thinking “what do we need to eat out of our garden?” and planning around that. It’s so satisfying and fun to eat primarily out of our garden! I love August for that reason. So much abundance.
Whether you have a garden or not, these vegetables are in season and taste really good roasted. Their juices create the moisture for this pasta, and the almond flour parmesan is my kids’ (and my!) favorite pasta topping right now. Be liberal with it, it’s so yummy!
Corn and pasta seem to go really well together. This fresh roasted corn is particularly satisfying to bite into! Most of the year we just eat frozen corn, so this time of year is extra delicious.
There are fancier recipes out there for pasta dishes like this, and I have tried to create some with more of a sauce, but at the end of the day, this is the kind of recipe I actually make because it’s fast and easy. I usually have a jar with this plant-based parmesan in it, so it’s really fast to put together. My daughter call it “karmasan” which I guess is fitting because not harming cows for making real parmesan should give you good karma. 🙂
I guess you could say we’re pasta people. Check out these other recipes!
Creamy Chipotle Pasta (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
Whole-food, plant-based, bursting with summer flavors. While most pasta has butter, oil, or cheese involved, this uses the whole-food fat of almond flour for that richness and depth of flavor. First step here is to pick from your garden!
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1 medium yellow summer squash
- 3 ears corn
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 16 oz whole wheat pasta (or other pasta of choice)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced (optional)
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2-1 tsp salt
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
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Chop zucchini and squash into bite size pieces. Cut corn off the cob.
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Place the zucchini and squash on one baking sheet, and the corn and tomatoes on another. Spray lightly with olive oil (about 1 teaspoon per pan), only if desired, and season with salt and pepper.
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Roast for 20 minutes, switching pans half way and stirring so the bottom doesn't burn. Tomatoes should be burst and squash should be tender and lightly golden brown on the bottom, but not mushy.
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Meanwhile, cook pasta and drain.
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Combine the parmesan ingredients into a jar. If you have any leftover, it's delicious on toast, soup, popcorn, and any pasta.
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Scrape roasted vegetables into a large serving bowl, making sure to get all the juices from the tomatoes, too. You'll want that so the pasta isn't dry.
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Toss all together with the pasta, fresh basil, and parmesan. You might not want to use the whole amount, depending on fat and calorie needs. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. I also like red pepper flakes on top.
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Enjoy warm. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat leftovers.
