Looking for a delicious and healthy meal? Try our creamy vegetable pasta recipe! Made with fresh veggies and a creamy sauce, it’s the perfect dinner option.
I love pasta. We must eat it for dinner at least once a week, and I probably have at least one pasta salad for lunch.
It’s so versatile and easy. It’s also cheap, which is always a bonus.
This creamy vegetable pasta is, I think, the perfect midweek dinner, and if you are looking for a healthy creamy vegetarian pasta dinner, I recommend giving it a go.
*This post may contain affiliate links to products I find useful when making this recipe. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.*
An Easy Midweek Dinner
Creamy Vegetable Pasta is the perfect midweek meal because:
- Creamy Vegetable pasta is super quick!
- Pasta with vegetables and cream sauce is really nutritious.
- You can change it easily.
- Creamy vegetable pasta sauce is filling and tasty.
Ingredients for This Creamy Vegetable Pasta
You don’t need many ingredients for this recipe for creamy vegetable pasta, and certainly nothing fancy. I use:
Penne
Broccoli
Frozen Peas
Cooking Spray – Olive oil or other cooking oil is fine too.
Yellow Onion
Garlic – I only use 2 cloves for a bit of flavour, but if you want a creamy garlic pasta.
Courgette
Soft Cheese – I use cheap Aldi own, but anything like Philadelphia is fine.
Mixed Herbs – or mixed Italian seasoning.
Black Pepper – You’ll also need some salt for the pasta water.
You could also add a cup parmesan cheese, or just a sprinkle to serve. But I don’t think it needs it.
Can You Use Different Vegetables?
Yes. I like to use courgettes, peas, and broccoli because we like them, and they’re all green, so they look good.
You can also use mushrooms, frozen corn, spinach or even red pepper. Throw in whatever you want!
Can You Add Chicken?
You can add chicken for a chicken pasta with vegetables, yes.
I’ve kept this as a quick, simple meat-free dinner. But you could add chicken if you wanted to.
Just brown the chicken before doing anything else, and make sure it’s cooked through and piping hot before you serve it.
What Pasta Should You Use?
I use super cheap Aldi Essentials Penne. You can use any that you want, or have in though.
Can You Use Low-Fat Soft Cheese?
I never recommend cooking or baking with low-fat dairy. It’s more like to separate than full-fat. If you want to make this meal lighter, you can use less soft cheese.
Tips for Making Creamy Vegetable Pasta
This recipe is really easy, so I don’t have many tips.
I would say, try to get your timing right. You want the pasta to be cooking, so you can use some of the pasta water in the sauce.
But you also want to simmer your sauce for 10 minutes so that the courgettes are cooked.
I recommend starting your onions and things while your water is coming to a simmer, so you can ladle out the water before you drain it.
But, depending on how long your pasta takes to cook, you may still have to drain it and set it to one side while your courgettes cook.
You can get the full recipe for this creamy veggie pasta recipe in the card at the bottom of this post.
What to Serve with Creamy Vegetable Pasta
I serve all my pasta with garlic bread. You can serve it on its own though. It’s a filling dinner as it is.
Other Pasta Recipes
If you like this pasta dish you might also want to try:
- Chicken and Halloumi Pasta
- Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
- Fajita Pasta
- Prawn and Chorizo Pasta
- Spicy Sausage Pasta
- Chicken and Chorizo Pasta Bake
- Spicy Chicken Pasta Bake
Creamy Vegetable Pasta
Ingredients
- 320 g Penne (or enough for 4)
- 1 Medium Broccoli (Cut into small Florets)
- 150 g Frozen Peas
- Pinch Salt
- Cooking Spray
- ½ Yellow Onion (Finely Dice)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
- 2 Courgettes (Cut into 1cm chunks)
- 100 g Soft Cheese
- Pinch Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Mixed Herbs
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water to the packet instructions, adding the peas and broccoli for the last 5 minutes.
- While the water for the pasta is warming, heat the cooking spray in a large frying pan over medium heat on the hob.
- Add the onions and fry for 3 minutes until soft, stirring often.
- Tip the garlic in with the onions and continue to fry for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the courgettes, and fry for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the soft cheese and 3 big ladles of pasta water, stir and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the mixed herbs and a good pinch of black pepper.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the courgettes have softened, stirring often.
- Add the pasta, peas, and broccoli, stir well and serve.
Notes
- If your pasta is cooked before the courgettes are ready, drain, and set to one side. Add to the pan when the courgettes are soft, and cook until the pasta is warm again, stirring often.
Nutrition
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
Lovely