Pasta with vegetables and tomato sauce recipe is an easy, healthy dish perfect for weeknight meals. This delicious veggie loaded pasta recipe is a satisfying meatless dinner option and can be infinitely varied with vegetables you have on hand.
This vegetarian pasta recipe is one of my favorite ways to enjoy pasta. This recipe is proof that a pasta meal can definitely be healthy! Loaded with veggies, this colorful dish is delicious and satisfying.
Pasta with vegetables and tomato sauce is a recipe my mom often prepared when I was growing up. The vegetables varied depending on what we had on hand, however there was one ingredient that was always present: potatoes!
If you weren't raised in an Italian family, you may find the combination of pasta and potatoes odd. 2 starches in the same dish! However pasta e patate, prepared in this soupier version or as a pastasciutta (dry pasta) is a typical Italian dish and it's pure comfort food!
This veggie loaded pasta dish is ever so versatile and can be prepared with a number of other vegetables you have available including yellow squash; broccoli; asparagus or spinach to name a few.
Ingredient List
- Pasta: of your choice including penne; rigatoni; gemelli; spaghetti etc...
- Canned diced tomatoes: or whole tomatoes if you prefer
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Potatoes: 2 medium (I used 4 small)
- Pepper: I prefer the sweet flavored red or orange peppers
- Mushrooms
- Zucchini: may be replaced with yellow squash
- Oregano
- Red pepper flakes: (pepperoncino) optional
- Fresh basil leaves
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
Step by Step Instructions
- Have all vegetables chopped and ready for cooking.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or sauce pan. Add potatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and set aside.
- Add onions and pepperoncino, if using, to the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped red pepper, a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the zucchini; mushrooms; and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes; oregano and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and nestle the potatoes in the sauce. Cover and cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer to thicken the sauce. Taste and add seasoning (salt and pepper) as needed.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente.
- Drain and stir the pasta into the vegetable sauce along with chopped fresh basil.
- Drizzle with a little extra olive oil over the top and serve along with grated cheese at the table, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Substitute other vegetables you may have on hand such as yellow squash; broccoli; asparagus or spinach.
-Enjoy with your favorite medium length pasta such as penne; rigatoni; gemelli; bowties; or fusilli or if you prefer long pasta such as spaghetti.
-This sauce is also delicious served over polenta.
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days.
You may freeze a batch of this sauce, without the pasta, in a well sealed container for up to 3 months.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know how much you enjoyed it by rating it in the recipe card below!
*****
Check out more delicious pasta and potato recipes!
- Pasta with Patatoes
- Pasta with Potatoes in Tomato Sauce
- Sicilian Cucuzza with Pasta
- Pasta with Peas and Potatoes
- Broccoli and Potato Soup with Pasta
Pasta with Vegetables and Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium zucchini halved lengthwise and cut into half moon shapes
- 1 red pepper diced
- ½ package button mushrooms about 114 grams, thinly sliced
- pinch pepperoncino (red pepper flakes) optional
- ½ teaspoon dry oregano
- 400 grams pasta of your choice, I used penne
- handful fresh basil leaves
- 796 ml can diced tomatoes or whole tomatoes if you prefer
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Have all vegetables chopped and ready for cooking.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or sauce pan. Add potatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and set aside.
- Add onions and pepperoncino, if using, to the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped red pepper, a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the zucchini; mushrooms; and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes; oregano and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and nestle the potatoes in the sauce.
- Cover and cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer to thicken the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning (salt and pepper) as needed.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente.
- Drain and stir the pasta into the vegetable sauce along with chopped fresh basil.
- Drizzle with a little extra olive oil over the top and serve along with grated cheese at the table, if desired.
Notes
-This sauce is also delicious served over polenta. Storage Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days. To Freeze You may freeze a batch of this sauce, without the pasta, in a well sealed container for up to 3 months.
Pat McLin
Love this. So simple.
Nadia
Thank you Pat, hope you enjoy it!