In highlighting my favorite vegan shortcut in last week’s regular mid-week edition, I realized that despite summer’s heat, I crave a certain amount of warm food, and likely, so do many of you.
So this week, I’m featuring some dishes that bring some warmth to the table without much standing over a hot stove. And as far as the other kind of heat (spiciness), I like to leave that to individual tastes. I’m the only person in my family that doesn’t require sriracha at every meal, so I can see both sides of the craving.
What I’m seeing a lot of: zucchini and other summer squashes; smaller varieties of eggplant; bok choy. We’ll make good use of them this week.
I’d like to give a shout-out to my wonderful photographer Hannah Kaminsky, who makes my recipes look so yummy. All of this week’s photos are her handiwork.
Pasta with Parsley Pesto and Summer Squashes
Briny olives and toasted nuts add a rich flavor to this delectable pasta and vegetable dish that’s easy enough for weeknight meals and special enough for company or to share at potlucks.
Parsley is an easy herb to love, packed with vitamins, and it makes a milder pesto than the traditional one made with basil. Serve warm or at room temperature. You can grab the easy parsley pesto recipe for other uses, too.
If you’d like even more tips and the printable recipe card, go to the full post. This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings.
INGREDIENTS
PARSLEY PESTO
1 packed cup parsley leaves
1 to 2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
THE REST
8 ounces pasta, any short chunky shape (try rotelle, gemelli, or bowties)
1 medium-small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 medium-small yellow summer squash, cut to match zucchini
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup pitted, chopped cured black olives (like Kalamata)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Extra toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts for topping, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the pesto ingredients in a food processor, and process
until the mixture is coarsely and evenly pureed. Add a small amount of water if the mixture needs more moisture to process. Set aside.Cook the pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is
nearly done, plunge the squashes into the simmering water and continue to cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl (a wide shallow pasta bowl is ideal).Transfer the pesto to the serving bowl and toss together with the pasta and squashes. Add the rest of the ingredients except the extra nuts and toss again.
If using, scatter some nuts over the top of the dish. Serve warm or
at room temperature.
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