Pumpkin spice can wait it’s damn turn.
This recipe is a delicious, light way to use seasonal produce to your advantage while you can- and who doesn’t love pasta?
In this recipe I chose to use Trader Joe’s Black Bean Rotini, as it is naturally gluten free, high in protein (14 grams per serving), relatively unprocessed (the only ingredient is black beans!), and adds a textural dimension. You can definitely tell that there is a slight black bean taste, and the texture is more similar to whole wheat pasta, but I find it just as satisfying as typical wheat pasta. However, if you don’t want to go grocery shopping and already have your pasta of choice in your cupboard, you could easily sub that in instead.
Time: 20-30 minutes
When to eat it: Lunch, dinner, make it for meal prep
Perks: Gluten-free, vegetarian
Serves: 4-5
Sh*t You Need:
Trader Joe’s Black Bean Rotini
One large zucchini (or two small)
One large summer squash (or two small)
8-10 Roma tomatoes, depending on how large/how runny you want the sauce to be
2 cloves fresh garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil
Parmesan cheese for topping
2 tbsp butter
Juice of one small lemon/2 tbsp lemon juice
The Recipe:
1. Put pot of water for pasta on to boil. 2. Finely dice the 2 garlic cloves, or use a garlic press. 3. Heat the olive oil in a medium-to-large saucepan. As the oil is heating, chop the zucchini and summer squash into roughly ½ inch cubes. 4. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté on high for one to two minutes. 5. Add the chopped squash and zucchini and reduce the heat to medium. Sauté for 5-8 minutes, depending on how soft you like your squash. I suggest allowing them to become slightly ‘toasted’, as this tends to add flavor. 6. While the squash is sautéing, chop the tomatoes into ½ inch pieces. Try to conserve as much of the juice that spills as possible. 7. At this point, the water should be boiling. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain carefully once done, you don’t need to reserve any of the pasta water. 8. As the pasta is cooking, add the tomatoes to the pan with the squash and the garlic, stirring to distribute the tomatoes evenly. Sprinkle the salt over and stir through. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and have released their juices. 9. Add the butter to the pan, melting through. 10. Once the butter has melted, add the lemon juice to the pan and stir throughout. 11. Add the basil (torn or chopped into smaller pieces), and stir until wilted. Taste the sauce at this point to see if more salt is required. 12. Add the drained pasta to the saucepan with the sauce, and stir to coat. 13. Serve, topped with parmesan and any remaining fresh basil.
Recipe was contributed by Karin Lee (Northeastern University).
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