A Couple Cooks

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

November 29, 2021

This easy vegetable pasta pairs spaghetti with colorful roasted veggies! It’s a healthy dinner idea for loading up on the good stuff.

Vegetable pasta

No matter how many healthy, easy dinner ideas we have in our repertoire, we’re always in need of another. Here’s our newest idea for loading up on good stuff: meet this Vegetable Pasta! It’s a combination between cozy comfort food and a vegetable-powered healthy meal, pairing roasted vegetables with bright marinara and Parmesan cheese. Here’s how to make it!

Elements in this vegetable pasta

This vegetable pasta is the best combination of loads of veggies and the homey feel of a great spaghetti marinara. For the veggies, we wanted to select colorful vegetables with peak nutrition. Here’s what you’ll need (though of course, you can substitute any of your favorite veggies):

  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • Bell peppers (red and yellow)
  • Onion

This vegetable pasta is full of Vitamin C! Half of a bell pepper provides 84% of your daily vitamin C, and one serving of cauliflower has 77%: not to mention other nutrients and vitamins. It’s a great way to eat your veggies while slurping up a bowl of pasta. (See more at Bell pepper nutrition and Cauliflower nutrition).

Vegetable pasta

More vegetables to add

Many different types of vegetables work in this vegetable pasta recipe! You can add about another 8 ounces of veggies to the quantities in the recipe below. But keep in mind: the quantity is important. You’ll need to divide it all the veggies between two baking sheets without stacking them (otherwise the veggies steam instead of roasting). Here are some other vegetables that would taste great here:

  • Mushrooms (add 8 ounces to the other vegetable quantities below)
  • Brussels sprouts, cut in half
  • Sweet potatoes, chopped into cubes
  • Green beans
  • Asparagus
Vegetable pasta

Protein adders for vegetable pasta

This vegetable pasta recipe is a tasty dinner idea for when you want to infuse veggies into your life. But keep in mind: you’ll need to supplement it with some protein for a filling meal. Here are some ideas for what you can add, either in the pasta itself or on the side:

Tips for cooking pasta to al dente

The key to this roasted vegetable pasta recipe, outside of the veggies? Cooking the pasta to the perfect al dente. Al dente means “to the bite” in Italian: pasta that’s tender with a firm center. Overcooked pasta turns out rubbery and unappetizing: and it actually has less nutrients and makes you less full! Here are some tips on how to cook pasta to al dente:

  • Set your timer a few minutes before the package instructions indicate. The timing on many pasta packages makes for overcooked pasta. Start taste testing the pasta a few minutes before the package says to.
  • Taste test and look for small white fleck at the core. You want to catch it right when there’s a small white fleck at the core, or just when it disappears. Move quickly: pasta can go from al dente to overcooked in a matter of seconds!
Roasted vegetable pasta

Vegan variation

How to serve this vegetable pasta as vegan? There’s one easy swap: omit the Parmesan cheese or use this homemade Vegan Parmesan! It’s made with cashews, garlic powder and nutritional yeast, and it adds a nice boost of savory flavor. It’s not required here, but it does elevate the recipe.

More vegetable pasta recipes

There are so many tasty ways to add veggies to your pasta! Here are some great pasta recipes that make healthy dinner ideas:

This roasted vegetable pasta recipe is…

Vegetarian. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, omit the Parmesan cheese or use Vegan Parmesan.

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Vegetable pasta

Vegetable Pasta

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This easy vegetable pasta pairs spaghetti with colorful roasted veggies! It’s a healthy dinner idea for loading up on the good stuff. 

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head cauliflower (2 pounds)
  • 1 crown broccoli (¾ pound)
  • 1/2 large or 1 medium sweet yellow onion
  • 2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 yellow)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 ounces spaghetti
  • 2 cups favorite jarred marinara sauce
  • ¼ cup shredded Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, plus more for serving (omit for vegan or use Vegan Parmesan)
  • Optional: stir in 2 to 4 ounces soft goat cheese for a creamy sauce
  • Protein adders: Chickpeas, White Beans, Edamame, Vegan Meatballs, Chicken, or Sauteed Shrimp

Instructions

  1. Adjust the oven racks for roasting 2 trays. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Chop the cauliflower and broccoli into florets. Slice the onion. Slice the bell peppers into strips. Spread the vegetables evenly between the 2 sheets.
  3. Drizzle half of the olive oil onto each tray, then sprinkle with half the seasonings onto each tray. Mix the vegetables with your hands until evenly coated.
  4. Place into the oven and bake for 20 minutes (do not stir!). Remove the pans from the oven, rotate them, and roast another 10 minutes (for 30 minutes total) until tender and lightly browned.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Set the timer for a few minutes less than the package instructions and then taste: the pasta should be just done, still with some firmness. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. (If it’s done before the vegetables, toss it with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.)
  6. To the pot with the pasta, add the marinara sauce, roasted vegetables, and Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Stir in goat cheese if using, and serve with a protein adder on the side or in the pasta. Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese.
  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Pasta
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Vegetable pasta, roasted vegetable pasta, vegetable spaghetti

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