Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta

A quick and easy 15-minute Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta recipe with ingredients you’ll most likely have in your store cupboard or pantry. This pasta dish makes use of frozen Mediterranean vegetables for ultimate convenience and bags of nutrition. It’s simply healthy comfort food that the whole family will enjoy!

this RECIPE

Flavors of the Mediterranean

Summer is undoubtedly on its way here in the UK, with temperatures rising by the day. So, I think it’s completely understandable that I’m craving summer flavors. And for me, it’s all about those gorgeous flavors of the Mediterranean.

This dish is packed full of juicy cherry tomatoes, sweet red bell peppers, tender zucchini (courgettes), and beautiful purple eggplant (aubergine). A plate full of bright colors that are so flavorsome the whole family will just love it.

When I first published this recipe in 2020 I was stuck at home, and I couldn’t get to the grocery store to buy fresh produce as often as I’d have liked. Inevitably, that meant relying heavily on the contents of my pantry and freezer to whip up delicious, nutritious meals.

Now, 18 months on, most of us are back at work. But, I still stand by the fact that this is a great recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights.

What are the Benefits of Using Frozen Vegetables?

• Buying frozen vegetables is convenient since they’re prepared for you. So, this recipe doesn’t require any washing or chopping of vegetables, making food prep an absolute breeze!
• Frozen vegetables are highly nutritious, often more so than their fresh counterparts. The nutrients in frozen vegetables are preserved because they are frozen soon after picking.
• As a bonus, frozen vegetables are often cheaper than buying fresh alternatives! I’ll take some of that penny-saving action any day!

Self-Saucing Mediterranean Vegetables

What makes this recipe so flavourful, is the saucy nature of the Mediterranean vegetables as they defrost over the heat of the skillet.

As the frozen veg makes contact with the hot pan, you’re first hit with a beautiful Mediterranean aroma. Then, as the vegetables start to defrost, they quickly become sticky and sweet. Oh, my days it’s good. And, it’s only just the beginning of what makes this Mediterranean vegetable pasta sauce so delicious.

Ingredients You’ll Need

All you’ll need to make this delicious Mediterranean vegetable pasta recipe is eight simple ingredients, plus salt and pepper.

• Wholegrain pasta. I use Garofalo Organic Whole Wheat Casarecce Pasta, but you can use anything you’d like. Whole wheat penne, fusilli, or spaghetti are all great options.
• Extra virgin olive oil.
• Frozen Mediterranean vegetables. Now available from most supermarkets, packs of frozen Mediterranean vegetables are often a mix of red onion, green, yellow, and red peppers, zucchini (courgette), and eggplant (aubergine).
• Garlic clove.
• Red chili (chilli) pepper.
• Fresh tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes or Roma tomatoes are both great options.
• Tomato paste (purée)
• Cheddar cheese. Or alternatively, parmesan cheese works great too!
• Salt & pepper

Great Ingredient Swaps or Additions

This recipe is so easy to tweak if you want to add a little extra oomph or simply want to swap a few of the ingredients for something else. Here are a few of my favorite ingredient swaps.

• Black olives for their mild and salty flavor
• Kalamata olives are great if you prefer a more sweet and somewhat fruity flavored olive
• Basil brings some extra freshness to the dish
• Chicken breast for added protein
• Roasted yellow squash if you’re looking for a soft, buttery vegetable that’s slightly nutty
• Green beans will do the trick if you want some crunch in your munch
• And what about a hit of lemon juice just before serving to enhance the flavor of the tomatoes and pasta. Yum!

How to Avoid Ultra-Processed Ingredients When Buying Frozen Vegetables

You’d think, if you’re buying a packet of vegetables its contents would be 100% veggies, right? Well, think again!

Frozen Mediterranean vegetables come in many variations in the supermarket. As an example, they’re sometimes called ‘Chargrilled Mediterranean Vegetables’, ‘Chargrilled Vegetables’ or ‘Mediterranean Style Vegetables’. Often, suppliers use unhealthy fats to char the veg and a whole bunch of other ingredients to “add flavor”. This usually includes some form of sugar like glucose syrup.

So, if you’re trying to stick to a diet rich in real foods, I recommend you read the food labels to avoid highly processed ingredients. Aim for a product that is 100% vegetables. And, if the vegetables are chargrilled using oil, a healthy fat like olive oil is ideal.

I am also using frozen chopped garlic and frozen chopped chili (chilli) in this recipe. These frozen ingredients don’t tend to have any added ingredients, so you should be ok there. But still, it’s best to check the label to ensure you are using 100% garlic and 100% chili. If not, you’d be better off using fresh produce.

What Pan To Use for Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta?

My favorite pan to use to make Mediterranean vegetable pasta is a large skillet, like the one pictured in the image. Cast iron pans get hot and stay hot with an even distribution of heat. Just be careful of the handles because they get hot too! If you don’t have skillet, a large frying pan or sauté pan will work just as well.

Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta: Frequently Asked Questions

📖 Recipe

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