This Farfalle Pasta With Zucchini, Spinach and Tomatoes is a quick, easy, flavorful, and super satisfying meatless meal that’s perfect for a light summertime dinner!
Zucchini, onions, baby spinach, and grape tomatoes sautéed with lots of garlic and tossed with bowtie pasta, vegetable stock, and parmesan cheese…so simple, fresh, and amazingly delicious!
What a great way to enjoy some of our favorite veggies from the garden or farmer’s market!
We totally eat the heck out of this super yummy summer pasta dish all season long, and we never, ever get tired of it.
When the sun is shining and it’s hot outside, we often don’t want to eat a big, heavy meal that weighs us down. We want something light and fresh.
For us, that usually means making something vegetarian, and this is one of my all-time favorite meatless dinner recipes!
Not to mention that, every summer, we have an overload of zucchini and grape tomatoes in the garden. I’m always trying new recipes to use them up, but I keep coming back to this one again and again. I crave it!
Now, don’t think for one minute that you might be left disappointed by a dinner that’s just pasta and veggies. No siree, Bub! Not only is this dish bursting with fresh flavors, it’s also surprisingly filling (and we’re only using 8 ounces of farfalle for 4 generous servings).
And – bonus – it’ll get you in and out of the kitchen fast!
Plus, just look at how colorful and gorgeous it is. I definitely don’t skimp on the vegetables. And, let me tell you, it tastes as good as it looks!
Ingredients you need:
- Farfalle (bowtie pasta)
- Olive oil
- Zucchini
- Onion
- Garlic
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh baby spinach
- Vegetable stock or broth (I use Better Than Bouillon (#notsponsored) roasted vegetable base mixed with water)
- Grape tomatoes
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
Here’s a look at how to make Farfalle Pasta With Zucchini, Spinach and Tomatoes:
Tips & Tidbits:
- This dish comes together quickly, so be sure to prep all of your ingredients before you start cooking.
- Use a large, deep skillet so you have plenty of room to toss everything together (I use a 12-inch skillet with high sides).
- To save time, start cooking the vegetables while waiting for the pasta water to boil and for the pasta to cook.
- The quality of your veggies is key to this dish being great. Make sure they are super fresh and the best you can get.
- Try not to overcook the veggies. They should be somewhat crisp-tender rather than super soft and/or mushy.
- If you don’t have vegetable stock or base, use chicken stock or base.
- I use farfalle (bowtie) pasta because it is similar in size and shape to the cut vegetables, but you really could use any pasta you’d like. I’ve made this dish with other pasta like penne, cavatappi, campanelle, fusilli, rotini, spaghetti, and angel hair (but bowties are still my favorite!).
- If you prefer a meaty meal, you could toss in some cooked chicken, shrimp, or Italian sausage at the very end, and that would be delicious too!
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- This dish is best when served immediately, but leftovers do reheat well (because the pasta will soak up any liquid, you may want to add just a little more stock when reheating to moisten things back up again). Reheat gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until heated through.
Don’t forget the extra parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top! Serve it with a salad and/or some bread or garlic bread (check out my Quick and Easy Garlic Knots) for summer dinner or lunch perfection!
And, in case you were wondering, the leftovers are even good cold straight from the fridge. Oh, yeah!
I hope you try this recipe for Farfalle Pasta With Zucchini, Spinach and Tomatoes and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
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Farfalle Pasta With Zucchini, Spinach and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces farfalle (bowtie) pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium zucchini, about 1¼ pounds total, cut into half-moons about ¼" thick
- 2 cups sliced onions, about ¼" thick
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 heaping tablespoon)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste, optional
- 1 (9-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup vegetable stock or broth, I use ½ teaspoon Better Than Bouillon roasted vegetable base mixed with ½ cup of water
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- additional grated parmesan cheese, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the package directions; drain and set aside. While waiting for the pasta water to boil and while the pasta is cooking, move on to the next steps.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet (I use a 12" skillet with high sides) over medium heat. Add the zucchini and onions, season lightly with salt and pepper; sauté, stirring frequently, until still firm but just beginning to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes (they will continue to cook and soften in the next steps).
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Sauté for 1 minute, stirring frequently (be careful that the garlic doesn't burn; turn down the heat more if needed).
- Add the spinach; sauté, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts down (do this in batches if it won't all fit into the pan at the same time).
- Add the vegetable stock and tomatoes; cook, stirring frequently, for another minute.
- Turn off the heat and add the cooked pasta and the parmesan cheese; stir until well-combined. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the pasta to soak up any liquid left in the pan.
- Give it one final stir and serve immediately. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- This dish comes together quickly, so be sure to prep all of your ingredients before you start cooking.
- This dish is best when served immediately, but leftovers do reheat well (because the pasta will soak up any liquid, you may want to add just a little more stock when reheating to moisten things back up again). Reheat gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until heated through.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
- Estimated calories shown are for one serving of pasta and vegetables and does not include any additional parmesan cheese topping.
Recipe adapted from Skinnytaste.
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