How To Cook Vegetarian Pasta

Instructions

• To make vegetarian pasta you will need the following ingredients: 4-5 cups any pasta of your choice, 3-4 spoons olive oil, salt to taste, half spoon red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper, 2-3 spoons mixed dried herbs such as thyme, basil, parsley, oregano etc. 2 spoons fresh garlic finely minced, 3-4 cups mixed chopped veggies such as carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. 1 red onion finely chopped, 2 cups canned tomato puree, and 1/4th cup grated parmesan cheese.
• To make vegetarian pasta, take water in a large vessel and bring to boil. Add salt and little olive oil to the boiling water. Once water comes to a boil, add the pasta and let it cook in boiling water for 5-6 minutes. The pasta must be cooked yet remain firm. Drain the excess water and keep the cooked pasta aside. You can use whole-grain pasta to make this dish healthier.
• Next, take olive oil in a pan and stir-fry the chopped veggies in it till they get slightly done. The veggies should remain crunchy. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and keep aside.
• Take olive oil in another pan and add the chopped onions and fresh garlic to it. Sauté the onions and garlic till the onions turn slightly translucent. Then add the tomato puree and season with salt, black pepper and paprika flakes. Next, add the dried herbs such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, basil, etc. Mix everything well and let the sauce simmer for a while.
• To assemble the vegetarian pasta, put the sautéed veggies and cooked pasta in the prepared sauce and cook for a few minutes. Let the sauce coat the veggies and pasta nicely.
• Serve the vegetarian pasta warm garnished with fresh basil leaves and grated parmesan cheese. Fresh garlic bread and a light tomato soup is perfect accompaniment to vegetarian pasta.
• There are many variations you can give to vegetarian pasta. Instead of preparing the tomato-based pasta sauce, you can use pesto sauce. Pesto sauce will impart a fresh flavor to the vegetarian pasta and make it taste very unique. Fresh home-made pesto sauce will taste best for this recipe.
• For those wanting creamy vegetarian pasta, make an Alfredo sauce to go with the pasta and veggies. Alfredo sauce can be made by sautéing flour in melted butter and then adding milk, heavy cream and grated cheese to form a creamy sauce.