Description
A farmers market inspired Pasta dish with Zucchini, Corn, tomatoes and Black beans- to act as a blueprint for your own creations. A simple healthy meal that can be served warm as a main, then chilled for weekday lunches. Either use the grill or sauté the veggies for faster prep!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 6 ounces dry pasta – penne, linguini, bow tie- or try GF pasta or Chickpea Pasta! (grain-free)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4–6 fat garlic cloves- rough chopped
- 2 shallots (or half a red onion) – thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 pound zucchini or summer squash ( a mix is nice)
- 1 ear of corn, or sub red bell pepper
- 1 lemon, zest and some juice to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2–3 cups cooked or canned black beans- or sub any other bean! (1-2 cans)
- optional additions: capers, kalamata olives, pecorino.
- heaping handful arugula (optional)
- 10 colorful cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 – 1 cup chopped basil, cilantro, Italian parsley.
- Optional – crumbled feta or goat cheese, pecorino, capers, kalamata olives, pumpkin seeds, chili flakes
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water, according to the directions on the package- save 1 cup of pasta water.
- If grilling the veggies, pre-heat grill and see notes. Alternatively, if cooking veggies stove, slice zucchini into ½ inch thick half moons. Lay corn down on a cutting board and slice the kernels off.
- Heat oil in an extra-large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallot, chili flakes and suave 2-3 minutes. Add zucchini and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, lowering heat to medium-low or low. Once the zucchini has some color, stir in the zest from one lemon. Add the corn and season it all with salt and pepper, cover the skillet with a lid and turn heat to low, letting it steam until the zucchini is tender. Add the drained black beans and let them warm through, adjusting the salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain the pasta, saving some salted pasta water. Add the pasta to the skillet, along with a few tablespoons of the salted pasta water and a good drizzle of olive oil. Squeeze with a little lemon juice. Stir, taste and adjust salt and lemon. To add more umami flavor (optional) you could add capers, kalamata olives, (or a few tablespoons olive tapenade), or shaved pecorino.
- Place this in a big bowl and right before serving toss in arugula and fresh herbs. Top with tomato halves. Sprinkle with feta or goat cheese or keep it vegan and lean.
- If serving this chilled, make sure to re-taste for salt before serving. You could also drizzle whit more lemon and olive oil. If it tastes bland, it needs salt, and adding it will bring all the other flavors out.
Notes
If grilling the zucchini, slice in half or in ½ disks depending on the size. Grill until tender, then cut them smaller before adding to the pasta. If grilling corn, just grill directly on the grate, until a few char marks appear. Lay corn down on a cutting board and slice kernels downward, rotating the cob.
Add to the skillet when you add the beans. You will still saute the garlic and shallot, add beans, lemon zest and grilled veggies) Continue with recipe above.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 268
- Sugar: 4.2 g
- Sodium: 120.9 mg
- Fat: 5.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.3 g
- Fiber: 9.2 g
- Protein: 10.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
