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This gluten-free and vegan Creamy Pasta with Zucchini Tomatoes is the best summer vegetable pasta recipe. The summer squash and tomatoes are cooked until jammy then tossed with quinoa penne and creamy cashew vegan sauce with a burst of lemon.
It’s peak summer produce season and that means you’ll find me at the farmers’ market multiple times a week. I’ve partnered with Now® Foods to make this delicious summer vegetable pasta that uses their Gluten-Free Organic Quinoa Penne plus a creamy sauce that is completely vegan and made with cashews.
If you want to order from Now® Foods use my discount code, RUNNINGONVEGGIES for 20% off your order!
When it comes to summertime, I’m always looking for quick and vegetable forward dinners that are delicious but keep me outside for as long as possible. This pasta is exactly that, in less than 30 minutes this summer squash pasta with tomatoes is on the table and bursting with my favorite seasonal flavors.
If I’m hosting a summer dinner party, this pasta is always a crowd pleaser. I like to pair it with some vegetable-based sides as well like my summer quinoa salad or Mexican tempeh salad.
Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes Recipe Features
- 30 Minute Meal: This pasta comes together in under 30 minutes with just two pots on the stove. It’s so easy anyone can make it, I promise!
- Gluten-Free Now® Foods Organic Quinoa Penne Pasta: this is my favorite kind of gluten-free pasta, you will never know the difference.
- Creamy Vegan Sauce: The sauce is nice and creamy from blending Now Foods Raw & Unsalted Cashews with water and a hint of Now Foods Nutritional Yeast Flakes for a bit of cheesy flavor.
- Summer Vegetable Pasta: Use your favorite summer farmers’ market vegetables here, eggplant, squash, hearty greens, corn, asparagus, the options are endless.
Summer Pasta with Vegetables Recipe Ingredients
Grab your market bag and head to the farmers’ market! This is where I love to grab my favorite produce for this recipe. The gluten-free quinoa pasta, cashews, and nutritional yeast can all be found on Now® Foods.
- Living Now® Organic Quinoa Penne: this pasta has only three ingredients: rice, quinoa and amaranth. The flavor is a little nutty and delicious, plus it cooks until perfectly al dente, no need to worry about mushy gluten-free pasta noodles!
- Shallots: a little bit more delicate in flavor than red onion with a touch of sweetness. Feel free to use red onion or yellow onion if you prefer.
- Zucchini: summer’s star veggie that’s high in antioxidants, a great source of fiber, and rich in water content. When zucchini is cooked down, it becomes jammy and almost caramelized, so delicious.
- Cherry Tomatoes: I call these summer’s candy, they are so sweet and juicy. They are rich in lycopene which fights disease-causing free radicals, and are a great source of vitamin A.
- Basil: my favorite summer herb, is a good source of magnesium to improve blood flow and contains essential oils that may lower cholesterol.
- Now Real Food® Cashews: when raw and unsalted cashews are soaked and then blended with hot water, they form a creamy sauce that’s completely dairy-free. Cashews are rich in fiber, healthy fats, as well as magnesium and manganese.
- Now® Nutritional Yeast Flakes: gives the sauce a hint of cheesy flavor without any dairy. It’s a form of inactivated yeast that is a good source of vitamin B12 which helps keep blood and nerve cells healthy.
- Lemon and Chili Flakes: both ingredients are aromatic in this recipe to add brightness and a little bit of spice.
How to Make Vegan Summer Squash Pasta with Tomatoes
- Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the Living Now® Gluten-Free Organic Quinoa Penne and cook on the low end of the package instructions until al dente. Once cooked, drain and lightly rinse the pasta (this prevents the pasta from becoming gluey).
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and chili flakes and continue to cook for 10 minutes until softened, golden brown, and jammy.
- Drain and lightly rinse the pasta and add to the pot with the vegetables.
- In the carafe of a high speed blender, add the Now Real Food® Cashews, Now® Nutritional Yeast Flakes, and hot water.
- Blend until very smooth and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the sauce over the noodles and vegetables (start with half of the sauce and add more as desired) and gently toss to coat everything.
- Add the lemon juice and half of the zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fold in the basil and serve garnished with additional basil and lemon zest on top.
Creamy Vegan Pasta Sauce
The special three-ingredient dairy-free pasta sauce is made using just Now Real Food® Cashews that are unsalted and raw, Now® Nutritional Yeast Flakes, and water. The sauce is so simple but very flavorful when paired with the summer squash and cherry tomatoes.
When the cashews are blended with warm water they form a silky smooth texture. Adding a hint of nutritional yeast brings a hint of cheesiness plus umami to the sauce that’s so delicious. I like to also add a lot of black pepper to the cashew sauce for a bit of heat.
The key to the vegan pasta sauce is you can make it as thick or thin as you desire by adjusting the amount of water. I like my sauce a bit more on the thin side, but it’s up to you!
Vegan Zucchini Pasta with Tomatoes FAQs
I love to season my pasta with different dried herbs and spices that you already have in your pantry. Try dried oregano, garlic powder, dried thyme, and red chili flakes. These are a few of my favorites. Nutritional yeast flakes are another great option for a dairy-free parmesan cheese alternative.
Grape tomatoes have more of an oval shape and cherry tomatoes are nicely round. Cherry tomatoes in season are usually known to be sweeter than grape tomatoes. Grape tomatoes also tend to be meatier and more chewy than cherry tomatoes.
Boil the pasta according to package instructions, it’s should be cooked in very salty water. When the gluten-free pasta has finished cooking, drain and rinse the pasta lightly under hot water. Rinsing gluten-free pasta keeps the pasta from becoming gluey when stirring into a sauce or vegetables.
I can’t wait for you to make this recipe, please drop your feedback using a star or a comment! Share to your Instagram and tag @runningonveggies. I would love to share your creations!
Try these other delicious vegetable pasta recipes!
If you want to order from Now® Foods use my discount code, RUNNINGONVEGGIES for 20% off your order!
Creamy Pasta with Zucchini and Tomatoes
Ingredients
Vegetable Pasta
- 1 pound Living Now® Gluten-Free Organic Quinoa Penne
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium zucchini halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes optional
- 1 to 2 lemons zested and juiced, divided
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Creamy Vegan Pasta Sauce
- 3/4 cup Now Real Food® Cashews whole, raw and unsalted
- 3/4 to 1 cup hot water
- 1 to 2 tablesoons Now® Nutritional Yeast Flakes
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Living Now® Gluten-Free Organic Penne Pasta and cook on the low end of the package instructions until al dente. When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and lightly rinse to prevent the pasta from clumping together.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add the olive oil and heat over medium.
- Add the shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the zucchini, tomatoes and chili flakes and cook for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown and jammy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the drained and lightly rinsed pasta to the pot with the vegetables.
- In the carafe of a high speed blender, add the Now® Real Food Cashews, 3/4 cup hot water, and Now® Nutritional Yeast Flakes. Blend until smooth, adding more water as needed for consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour the sauce slowly over the pasta and vegetables and gently stir to combine. Add more sauce as desired or save for another use.
- Add the lemon juice and half of the zest to taste. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Stir in 3/4 of the basil and allow the basil to wilt a little bit.
- Serve garnished with additional basil leaves and remaining lemon zest.
Notes
- Store this pasta recipe in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat either in the microwave for a couple of minute or on the stove over low heat, adding a little splash of water if needed to loosen up the sauce.
- Use your favorite summer farmers’ market vegetables in this recipe!
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