Thinking Outside the (Gift) Box

Fresh herb plants and some fresh vegetables to go along with them for some special people...



Parsley, red & green bell peppers, zucchini squash, cherry tomatoes and basil




Parsley, red & green bell peppers, zucchini squash, cherry tomatoes and cilantro

Pasta Vegetable Bake

I made this recipe from The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook tonight for dinner. The photo above is not the completed product, but instead the vegetables and sauce cooking on the stove before I combined with the pasta. I thought the colors were pretty enough to photograph. Thumbs up from both Dave and me; Drew did not eat tonight. He was very tired and instead wanted to go to bed. I loved the flavor of zucchini with the sauce, but this is not a new flavor combination for me. Very satisfying for me, even without the meat.

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed  minced
3 medium zucchini, sliced
3 oz. button baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 cups ready made tomato pasta sauce
1 cup frozen canned peas
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups dried pasta (penne or spiralli)
4 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in pan. Add the onion and garlic, cooking over low heat for 4 minutes or until onions are soft. Add zucchini and mushrooms, cook for 3 minutes. Add the sauce and peas. Cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside. Add pasta to a large pan of boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain and add vegetables to the pan. Spoon mixture into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes.