About the Recipe
This vegan pasta dish is delicious served warm or cold. You really can't go wrong! It's a nourishing, delicious and easy recipe to add to your rotation!
Ingredients
7 oz rigatoni or penne pasta (GF if needed)
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
7 oz zucchini (1 medium), cut into chunks
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
A pinch of sugar (optional)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
A pinch of chili flakes
4 charred artichoke heart halves, chopped
8 Kalamata olives, de-stoned and chopped
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish (optional)
Preparation
Cook the pasta just short of al dente, saving ¼ cup of cooking water just before you drain your pasta.
Heat up 2 tsp oil in a your pan. Once hot, add zucchini and fry it on a gentle heat until caramelized, stirring from time to time.
Once zucchini is almost done, add the garlic and allow it to fry in amongst the zucchini, stirring frequently. Do not let it brown as it will make it taste bitter.
Season with salt and pepper and transfer out of the pan. Set aside.
Add chopped tomatoes and a good splash of water into the same pan.
Allow the tomatoes to break down and thicken a little. Add a splash more liquid if the pan is getting dry.
Season the sauce with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar (if using), balsamic vinegar and a pinch of chili if using. Stir well. Add cherry tomato halves to the pan, allow the cherry tomatoes to soften in the sauce.
Add drained pasta to the sauce and a bit of pasta cooking water, if needed. Coat the pasta in the tomato sauce. Mix well and adjust the seasoning if needed – remember that olives will add saltiness. At this point you may want to add a touch more olive oil for a more luxurious finish.
Finally return fried zucchini and add chopped artichoke hearts and olives to the pan.
Divide between two bowls and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
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