Helen’s Vegan “Medi Veg” Pasta

Last updated May 2023

Hello Twisties,

I came up with this fantastic pasta quite recently and honestly, it’s so delicious that even my die-hard meat-loving husband is asking for seconds! I was inspired by Tesco’s frozen Mediterranean vegetable mix but there were things that I wanted to add and things that I wanted to remove or reduce- particularly too much salt and oil. With that in mind, I sat down and conjured up my own roasted Mediterranean vegetable mix, only for us to blend them and turn them into a tasty pasta sauce!

I used dried pasta for this recipe, rather than fresh, as it is typically vegan (though do check!). Although not a vegan myself, I’ve wanted to explore vegan cooking for a while to find tasty, healthy recipes which will help provide my husband and myself with essential vitamins and nutrients. After a little research, I’m proud to say that this recipe is 100% vegan. It can be served alongside meat for those meat-lovers or topped with grated cheese for vegetarians of course, but I assure you that it’s quite fine on it’s own!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (512g) dried penne pasta
• Water, plus 100ml boiled water
• 24 cherry tomatoes
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 red onion, peeled and diced
• 1/2 courgette, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt (use only 1/2 tsp if you prefer not to boil pasta in salt water)
• 1tsp ground black pepper

The method:

• In a large pot, bring enough water to a rolling boil and boil the penne pasta for 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Add 1/2 tsp salt, if desired.
• In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, courgette and garlic. Cook continuously over a medium heat until onion turns translucent and the vegetables have softened, about ten minutes.
• Once cooked, place the vegetable mix into a blender and add the remaining salt, black pepper, basil and boiling water. Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until smooth.
• Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Pour over the vegetable mixture and stir well to coat the pasta.
• Serve and enjoy!

I hope that you enjoy this recipe and I hope that it satisfies your tastebuds. Has this pasta got the thumbs up from your picky eaters? Do let me know in the comments!

That’s it from me for this post! Have you tried making your own pasta sauce before? How did it go? Why not give this post a like, share your thoughts in the comments or click here for more great recipes!

Until next time!

Stay safe & have fun,