Vegetable penne pasta

This penne pasta with vegetables is our favorite breakfast or dinner recipe that is easy to make, healthy, and super delicious.

This mixed veggies pasta is not Indian food, but our comfort food that is easy to make for weekdays and breakfast.

Yes, I do like to make pasta for breakfast as my kids enjoy it. And all of us at home like all Italian dishes as they are mildly flavored yet tasty.

I am not using any pasta sauce in this mixed vegetable pasta and is 100% made from scratch.

What you need to make vegetable pasta

• Pasta: As we are using many veggies in this recipe, short pasta like penne, fusilli, farfalle, elbows will be best. But you could use any pasta to make this simple veggie pasta recipe.

If you use spaghetti to make this recipe, chop your veggies into bite-sized pieces to make it easy while eating.

I have used whole wheat pasta to make this recipe. Feel free to use any pasta (even gluten-free). The only thing is you need to cook the pasta al dente as per the directions on the box.

• What veggies go well in pasta? Any veggies! Yes, I like to use all veggies according to the season and availability. Bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, broccoli are the most common veggies I like to use in this veggie pasta.

But you could use any veggies like gourds, pumpkin, peas to make the pasta. Mushrooms will also be a good addition to this pasta recipe.

•  Herbs and spices: I used dried herbs to make this recipe, but you can use fresh herbs if they are available to you.

Kitchen tools that I used to make this recipe

Using the right tools in the kitchen, you can make your meals effortlessly and quickly.

• Mandoline slicer: I used this vegetable slicer to chop my veggies. I am a person who likes to chop veggies fresh, so I used these kinds of tools to make the job easier and faster.
• Stainless steel pan: To avoid food burning, I use the thick-bottomed pan to saute the veggies.

How to make vegetable pasta recipe

• Add 5 to 6 cups of water to a large pot. And bring it to boil and add salt. 
• To the pot, add pasta and a tsp of oil. Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions.
• Drain pasta into a colander and keep it aside. You could pour some cool water over it to stop cooking further. Also, reserve some water in which pasta is cooked.
• Meanwhile, while the pasta is boiling down, chop all the veggies.

• Once you have boiled pasta and chopped veggies ready, heat a thick bottomed pan and add oil to it. Add chopped celery, garlic, and carrots. Let them fry for a couple of minutes.

• Then add chopped zucchini and cook it for a minute or so.

• Now add chopped bell peppers. I used green, yellow, and red bell peppers, but you can use bell peppers of your choice. Mix everything and let it fry for a couple of minutes on high flame. Here we don't want to cook veggies fully.

• Then add red chili flakes, pepper powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and mix everything. As pasta already has salt, be cautious while adding salt.

• Now add cooked pasta and toss everything. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes so that pasta absorbs all flavors. If it becomes too dry, you can add water reserved after draining the pasta.

• Here I haven't added any cheese. If you like, you can add the cheese now and mix everything. Switch off the stove, and vegetable pasta is ready to serve!

Recipe variations

• I haven't used any cheese to make this recipe vegan. But you could add grated cheese of your choice.
• To add creaminess to the pasta, I add cashew cream or almond butter in the final step and mix it once. 
• Though this is not a common addition, I like to add thick coconut yogurt to this recipe. Adding yogurt will make the pasta tangy, and we enjoy it at home this way. If you are looking for a change, try it out!
• To make tomato veggies pasta, stir in half a cup of any tomato sauce while adding pasta. You could add marinara sauce as well.
• To make pesto vegetable pasta, stir in half a cup of pesto once everything is cooked. Be mindful about salt and pepper if using any sauces, as they will also have salt in them.

Are you looking for more vegetarian pasta recipes? Then try these out.

• One-pot penne pasta - a simple pressure cooker tomato penne pasta recipe that is easy to make and taste delicious.
• Pasta e Fagioli - one-pot pasta and beans recipe with staple ingredients that you can quickly make for your dinner.

Veggie pasta recipe