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