Make this nutrient-packed veggie pasta for a quick dinner anytime you run out of time! It's the perfect replacement for traditional pasta, offering a family dinner packed with nutrients and flavor.
This quick dinner uses sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and carrots, all transformed into spaghetti ribbons using a vegetable peeler, resulting in a light, colorful, and satisfying veggie pasta that's healthy and delicious.
It's been a long time since I stopped eating classic pasta, one because of gluten and the second because I avoid highly processed food.
While my kids can still enjoy whole wheat pasta a few times a year, I love making veggie pasta for the family, which is always a success.
My darling daughter doesn't like squashes and sweet potatoes; she says that the color makes her stomach ache! To allow her to appreciate these healthy vegetables instead of avoiding them forever, I like making this vegetable pasta; she likes mushrooms and spinach, which helps her appreciate the meal.
How to make vegetable pasta
Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and carrots (peeled into ribbons)
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Spinach
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Sea salt
- Chili and mint (optional)
- Healthy cooking oil
- Lemon juice
This fiber-rich quick vegetable pasta has a nice workflow.
- Start by cleaning all the ingredients apart from the mushrooms.
- Crush/grate the garlic and put it aside to activate the cancer-protective compounds of garlic.
- Slice the onions and place them in a pan.
- Clean the mushrooms very quickly, avoiding soaking them in water. Mushrooms contain a lot of water and absorb water so quickly. Tap-dry immediately and slice them.
- Cook the onions on low heat; add a healthy oil or some liquid if you avoid cooking with oil. Cover to cook.
- Meanwhile, cut the butternut into two using a sharp knife, placing the knife right next to where the butternut starts to swell into a circular base (you do not want the part with seeds). Cut the long part into two, lengthwise. Use a small butternut squash; it's much easier to manipulate.
- Use a vegetable peeler to get the butternut, carrots, and sweet potato ribbons. You do not need to peel off the skin as they are edible and contain essential nutrients, and it reduces your work.
See the whole recipe on the recipe card...
Why you'll love this quick, easy dinner
- Fast and easy: Ready in under 25 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
- Light and flavorful: The natural sweetness of the vegetables pairs beautifully with the savory mushrooms and garlic.
- One-pan meal: Minimal cleanup means less time in the kitchen.
- Nutrient-rich: High in vitamin A, protein from mushrooms, iron, and antioxidants.
- Extra veggies: It allows you to eat more vegetables in a single sitting.
- Main meal: It has a nutrition balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
- No peeling: This removes extra work, which allows you to enjoy cooking.
This veggie spaghetti is a fantastic, hearty, yet light and fresh meal. Whether you're a vegan, following an anti-inflammatory diet, or a healthy conscious, this quick veggie pasta will inspire your creativity and be a nutrient-packed option for a healthy dinner.
Serving suggestions
This vegetable pasta is a quick, healthy dinner on its own. However, you might have kids, young adults, or a spouse who require extra calories.
- Serve this veggie pasta with a healthy protein like fish or chicken. Be conscious of where and how the animals/fish were raised.
- You can serve it alongside whole grains like whole rice, quinoa, sorghum, millet, etc.
- You can serve it with cooked lentils or add chickpeas or beans directly to the pan.
- Serve with baked potatoes, cassava, or any other root-roasted veggies.
Remember to sprinkle with lemon juice to enhance iron absorption if you're eating this family dinner in a vegan version. Meat and fish will allow non-heme (plant iron) to be absorbed without needing vitamin C.
I hope you'll appreciate this veggie pasta as much as I do. Customize it to your liking by adding extra spices or other ingredients. Thank you for sharing by pressing the social buttons.
You've the power to heal yourself, Githu.
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📖 Recipe
Enjoy quick dinner | Veggie pasta
Equipment
- kitchen knife
- spaghetti tongs
Ingredients
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 large onions
- 200gm 2 cups mixed mushrooms
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 medium thin sweet potato
- ½ butternut squash (small size)
- a pinch of sea salt
- 1 chili (seeds removed) (optional)
- a handful of herbs of choice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Clean all the vegetables apart from the mushrooms
- Crush/grate the garlic and set aside
- Slice the onions and place them in a cooking pan
- Clean the mushrooms, tap-dry, and them (read the post for details)
- Set the onions to cook on low heat, add the oil, and cover.
- Meanwhile, get the ribbons from carrots, butternut, and sweet potato (read the post on how)
- Stir the cooking onions, add the mushrooms, and stir together.
- Place the spinach on the cooking mushrooms, then bring the ribbons and spread them evenly in the pan.
- Cover and cook on moderate heat till cooked, gently turning the ribbons with the tongs or cooking spoon
- Remove from heat, add the remaining ingredients
- Squeeze a lemon all over just before serving (details on the post)
- Serving suggestions are on the post
Notes
- The ribbons are going to shrink when cooked.
- Do not cook at very high temperatures; it will destroy some essential nutrients.
- Do not cook at low heat; the mushrooms will give too much of their water.
- If overcooked, the ribbons will break and become mushy.
- Ideally, this veggie pasta will take less than 10 minutes to cook.
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