Over the past month, I’ve been making a lot of dishes using the produce coming out of our garden and what I’ve found at the farmer’s markets. One of my favorite summer meals is pasta with a bunch of fresh vegetables. Below I present you with two variations on a theme, both of which are deliciously simple.
I intended on getting this post up for Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free since the theme was “Dishes so Simple, No Recipe Required” but alas, I procrastinated and didn’t get it up. Regardless, go over to GF Easily and check out the other un-recipes.
Quick Summer Pasta
Original by Renee
No measurements here, just go with what feels and tastes(!) right.
Gluten Free Pasta, my favorite brand is Tinkyada (which is also sold cheaper as Trader Joe’s house brand of brown rice pasta).
Chopped heirloom tomatoes (Yay for Green Zebras – the birds don’t try to eat them since they’re green, and leave half-eaten, beautiful red toms hanging on the vine)
Chickpeas, cooked/canned, drained and rinsed
Feta cheese, crumbled – I had picked up some lovely marinated goat feta from Sweetwoods Dairy at the farmer’s market
A drizzle of olive oil
Fresh basil – lots of it!
Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper
Cook pasta and drain. Toss with remaining ingredients.
Balsamic Vegetable Pasta
Original by Renee
Again, no measurements but I wanted more vegetables than pasta in this one.
Gluten Free Pasta – see above
Onion, halved and thinly sliced, either red or white will work
Balsamic vinegar
Chickpeas, canned/cooked, rinsed and drained
Heirloom tomatoes, chopped – lots of them!
Feta or goat cheese, crumbled
Olive oil
Basil – lots of it!
Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper
Cook pasta (gluten free pasta needs a lot of water to move around in!). Drain and rinse.
In a large skillet, heat a bit of olive oil. Add in the sliced onion and cook over medium heat. Turn down and let the onions start to carmelize a bit and then drizzle some balsamic vinegar over them. Add in the chickpeas and let them heat through, stirring occasionally, and adding a bit more balsamic if you want.
Toss onions and chickpeas into a large bowl. Add in the tomatoes, basil and feta, toss gently. Add in pasta (I wanted more veggies, less pasta in this version). Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and add salt and pepper (and/or more vinegar) to taste.
Notes:
* Sometimes I also saute a red sweet bell pepper with the onions.
* Kalamata olives and/or toasted pine nuts are a nice addition.
* Parmesan cheese instead of feta or goat cheese works too. So many variations!
* Mix it up to fit your taste buds!
What’s your favorite quick summer pasta combination?
Beyond Rice and Tofu 