Healthy Garlic Pasta with Veggies and Parmesan
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.This flavorful Garlic Veggie Pasta is made with fresh broccoli, zucchini, red onions, seasonings, whole wheat spaghetti, and is topped with parmesan cheese. This easy Italian dish is a delicious, guilt-free solution to healthy eating.
I truly enjoy eating healthy. It’s not just because I can feel good about the meals that I’m eating and feeding to my family; it’s that they actually taste amazing too!
I know many people have said that eating healthy is boring and flavorless. But that can’t be any farther from the truth! Eating healthy actually tastes wonderful if you add the right spices and combination of ingredients. Let me just say, this garlic veggie pasta has ALL the right stuff.
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By skipping white pasta and upping the nutrition with extra veggies you can make this a guilt-free indulgence.
I’m pretty sure you are going to be drooling by the end of this! 🙂
Tools and Equipment You’ll Need
- Large NonStick Skillet or pan
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
- Garlic press
- Chopping Knife
- Sauce pan or small pot
Recipe Ingredients
How To Make A Healthy Spaghetti
- Pasta: Use Whole Wheat Pasta, and stick to 2oz per serving. For more protein (and to make this gluten-free), use a legume or chickpea based pasta.
- Veggies: Make your plate fuller with TONS of veggies. This recipe uses broccoli, red peppers and zucchini – load up on these and they will make you feel like you have more pasta on your plate!
- Sauce: Get a really flavorful pasta sauce with no sugar added, or make your own at home.
- Cheese: Don’t skimp on the cheese, but don’t go overboard either! Use 1 tablespoon of shredded fresh parmesan cheese to top each serving of your pasta, and it will melt and make the entire dish gooey, rich and satisfying.
- Spices: Use plenty of spices (including salt + pepper) for flavor instead of oil or butter. Spices have health benefits and virtually no calories, and they make your veggies taste great. My go-to spices for pasta are: dried Italian spices (oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme), salt, crushed red pepper, and garlic.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook spaghetti according to package directions, set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, and garlic – saute for 3-5 minutes, until the onions are slightly translucent.
Step 2: Add the broccoli, zucchini, oregano, crushed red pepper, and salt/pepper to taste. Cook for 5-10 minutes until all of the vegetables have cooked through.
Step 3: Heat the spaghetti sauce in a small pot over low heat. Add the diced red bell peppers to the sauce, simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 4: To serve: take 2 oz of the whole wheat spaghetti and top with ¼ of the sauce, ¼ of the vegetable mixture, and 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese.
What Makes This Veggie Pasta Healthy?
- Low Calorie: even though it’s low calorie, you still get a giant serving. You can enjoy a big helping for about 360 calories.
- High In Protein: You get 16.4 grams of protein every time you eat one serving of this dish! Protein is important for strong bones, muscles, and healthy skin.
- High Fiber: With 15.6 grams of fiber per serving, this is a dish that will keep you full and help keep your blood sugar steady too. Fiber also is important for healthy digestion.
- High in Nutrients: Broccoli and zucchini are high in Calcium, Iron, Phosphorous, and Vitamins A, C, E, K and B. Red bell peppers are packed with Vitamin C, and all of these veggies have tons of antioxiants!
Will Kids Enjoy This Garlic Pasta?
Yes, there are very few kids that don’t love pasta! They won’t even notice the difference between regular spaghetti noodles and these whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Plus, this meal is a great way to sneak vegetables into their diets without them even thinking of it!
For super picky kids, I recommend dicing the veggies super small and adding them directly to the sauce to “hide” them, or you can even puree all the veggies and add it to hte sauce too (for the pickiest kids!) It’s a win all around.
Recipe FAQs
How Do I Make This a Vegan Pasta Recipe?
It is super easy to make this healthy pasta vegan! Just omit the parmesan cheese, or use a vegan substitute.
How Do You Store Leftover Pasta?
After you’ve cooked the pasta dish, let it cool down all the way. Once it’s cool, you can place it in an airtight container and put it in the refrigerator. Typically, this garlic pasta will last around five days in the refrigerator.
Can Dry Pasta Go Bad?
Yes, pasta noodles can go bad, even though most pasta will last several months after the “best by” date. The best by date just simply means that’s how long they’re expecting it to remain fresh. You can still eat it after that date; it just may have a little bit of a different texture. Use your best judgment, and if you noticed that the pasta breaks apart very easily after you open, it may have started to go bad.
Low Calorie Pasta Variations
- Change Up The Veggies: You can throw just about any veggies you like into this low calorie pasta! Try kale or spinach for some leafy greens; or you can use mushrooms, carrots, asparagus, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, pretty much anything works!
- For More Protein, add White Beans: Navy or cannelini beans both work well, and taste great too!
- Try Fresh Herbs: This recipe uses dried spices for convenience, but fresh basil, oregano and rosemary would all taste amazing in this healthy spaghetti.
- Switch Out Your Pasta: Try different shapes like penne, rotini or shells; try different types of pasta like legume/chickpea based, quinoa/brown rice pasta, or any other whole grain pasta you enjoy (anything other than traditional white pasta would be great!)
Top Tips For Making The Best Garlic Pasta
- Never overcook the spaghetti noodles. It’s best to cook them al dente; otherwise, they may end up mushy. Trust me; nobody wants mushy spaghetti.
- While twirling spaghetti is fun, for easier cooking, break your spaghetti noodles in half. You won’t have as much clumping and the strands will still be long enough to twirl!
- Cook your pasta in a large pot – again – to prevent sticking. A large stock pot works well.
- If you need to sneak the veggies in (for picky eaters), either shred them, puree them, or dice them up super small.
- Don’t rinse your pasta noodles after they have cooked! You want all that starchy water to stick to the noodles as it will help your sauce stick to the spaghetti as well.
Check Out These Other Easy Dinner Recipes!
- Gluten Free Pasta Salad with Olives and Herbs
- Hearty, Healthy Vegetable Lasagna
- Pink Sauce Pasta
- Tahini Sauce Pasta
- Vegan Rasta Pasta
- Homemade Tagliatelle with a Fresh Tomato Olive Sauce
- Vegetarian Pesto Pasta
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🎥 Watch How to Make It
Garlic Veggie Pasta with Parmesan
This flavorful Garlic Pasta is made with fresh broccoli, zucchini, red onions, seasonings, whole wheat spaghetti, and is topped with parmesan cheese. This easy Italian dish is a delicious, guilt-free solution to healthy eating.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 363.5kcal
Ingredients
- 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti 2oz per serving
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups pasta sauce choose a variety with no sugar added
- 1 red onion diced
- 2 red bell peppers diced
- 2 small broccoli heads chopped into small florets
- 3 zucchini diced
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese use 1-2 Tbsp per serving
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions, set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, and garlic – saute for 3-5 minutes, until the onions are slightly translucent.
- Add the broccoli, zucchini, oregano, crushed red pepper, and salt/pepper to taste. Cook for 5-10 minutes until all of the vegetables have cooked through.
- Heat the spaghetti sauce in a small pot over low heat. Add the diced red bell peppers to the sauce, simmer for 10 minutes.
- To serve: take 2 oz of the whole wheat spaghetti and top with 1/4 of the sauce, 1/4 of the vegetable mixture, and 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese.
Notes
Low Calorie Pasta Variations
- Change Up The Veggies: You can throw just about any veggies you like into this low calorie pasta! Try kale or spinach for some leafy greens; or you can use mushrooms, carrots, asparagus, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, pretty much anything works!
- For More Protein, add White Beans: Navy or cannelini beans both work well, and taste great too!
- Try Fresh Herbs: This recipe uses dried spices for convenience, but fresh basil, oregano and rosemary would all taste amazing in this healthy spaghetti.
- Switch Out Your Pasta: Try different shapes like penne, rotini or shells; try different types of pasta like legume/chickpea based, quinoa/brown rice pasta, or any other whole grain pasta you enjoy (anything other than traditional white pasta would be great!)
- Never overcook the spaghetti noodles. It’s best to cook them al dente; otherwise, they may end up mushy. Trust me; nobody wants mushy spaghetti.
- While twirling spaghetti is fun, for easier cooking, break your spaghetti noodles in half. You won’t have as much clumping and the strands will still be long enough to twirl!
- Cook your pasta in a large pot – again – to prevent sticking. A large stock pot works well.
- If you need to sneak the veggies in (for picky eaters), either shred them, puree them, or dice them up super small.
- Don’t rinse your pasta noodles after they have cooked! You want all that starchy water to stick to the noodles as it will help your sauce stick to the spaghetti as well.
Nutrition
Calories: 363.5kcal | Protein: 16.4g | Fat: 6.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.2g | Cholesterol: 3.6mg | Sodium: 773.1mg | Potassium: 1094.5mg | Fiber: 15.6g | Sugar: 9.3g
My husband and I both loved this recipe—it’s delicious! I was surprised at how much flavor it had with just oregano and red pepper flakes for seasoning (I didn’t add any salt or pepper and it honestly didn’t need any). It’s definitely a keeper and will be making it again. Thank you!
That is so wonderful to hear Kristine! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Wonderful recipe, healthy,flavorful.
How to reduce the sodium? Where does 773 mg come from? Is it the sauce?
Thanks
Thanks Mary! Yes the majority of the sodium comes from the sauce – so the way to control for that is to either find a low sodium sauce, or make your own pasta sauce at home!
I loved this recipe when my friend made it, and now it’s my turn! Can you help me by breaking down how much broccoli to use?
My market sometimes has large heads and sometimes small heads of broccoli. How many cups of the flowerets should we be using
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that Dena! I think 2 small broccoli heads will yield about 4-5 cups of florets! Hope that helps!
I just love the simplicity of this recipe. It came together so easy and the flavors were so light and fresh!
So happy to hear that Danielle! 🙂
That looks heavenly. Exactly the kind of pasta dish I love midweek. Bookmarking this one to try later. Yum!
Yay!! Thanks Jacqueline!