The best way to include more veggies in your meals is to pair them with something that you already love and that’s exactly what I intended in this recipe of pasta with summer vegetables and fresh basil!
Pasta is undoubtedly the most universally appealing dish all over the world which delights kids and adults alike.
So I picked up a regular pasta recipe and gave it a makeover by loading it with summer vegetables & grilled chicken which finally turned out to be this gorgeous and delicious pasta with summer vegetables!
Grilled chicken is an add-on in this pasta as I wanted to include a good source of protein. You can grill your chicken in an outside griller or just use a grill pan on the stovetop like I did.
Why this pasta with summer vegetables is so special and why must you try this?
We all know that including assorted vegetables in our meals is good for us as these veggies are the key source of vitamins, fibers and other necessary nutrients.
But, I too admit that vegetables can seem boring if not prepared right! Let’s be real – you cannot always eat and enjoy boiled or steamed veggies!
That’s the very reason why I keep looking for ways to combine a mix of beautiful vegetables with other ingredients that are tasty in themselves!
And this pasta with summer vegetables fit the bill perfectly where you have the cheesy pasta on one hand and smoky grilled chicken on the other!
The pairing of sauteed summer special veggies like zucchini, bell peppers (a.k.a. capsicums), tomatoes and olives with soft linguine or any other pasta of your choice proved to be a clear winner!
Ingredients for pasta with summer vegetables
Pasta: You can use any pasta in this recipe to be honest! The key player here is the veggies! I used linguine pasta which I had in my pantry.
This recipe of summer vegetables pasta is very customizable and you can use any short or long pasta for this; it will always come out as a winner!
Vegetables: As I mentioned, veggies are the superstar of this pasta with summer vegetables recipe! Use all possible summer veggies that you like!
I used zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives which combined with each other created a magical dish! You can also add yellow squash, sweet corn kernels or carrots!
Chicken: Grilled chicken is summer’s best friend which is why I added a couple of chopped up grilled chicken breasts to our pasta with summer vegetables!
Grilled chicken not only adds another dimension to the dish but also enhances the protein quotient of this high fiber wholesome meal!
Cheese: I used grated cheddar cheese but not too much; just enough to add that melty cheesiness into our pasta without overpowering the freshness of the summer vegetables!
Olive oil: Pasta always has to be cooked in olive oil and that too a good quality olive oil for the best result! I used a generous amount of olive oil in this recipe as you can see from the ingredient list.
Half of the olive oil is for sauteing the veggies and the remaining half is to coat the pasta with the flavorful olive oil so that each pasta can soak up the flavors beautifully!
Italian seasoning: The only spice that I used in this pasta recipe is my good old and dependable Italian seasoning!
I wanted to retain the fresh flavors of veggies which was complemented beautifully by the mix of herbs in the Italian seasoning!
Aromatics: As the base of the recipe, I used onion and garlic as the key aromatics. Onion adds a hint of sweetness and garlic is all about deep flavors!
Basil leaves: A bunch of fresh basil leaves screams of summer and you can’t skip this in this summer vegetable pasta recipe!
Our kitchen garden has abundant produce of Italian basil which we harvested to enjoy this delicious pasta with summer vegetables and grilled chicken!
Seasoning: Season your pasta with summer vegetables with salt at different layers – while grilling the chicken, while cooking the pasta in boiling water and while sauteing vegetables.
Also, do note that the cheese is already salty, so optimize the extra salt accordingly. Add freshly crushed black pepper while sauteing the veggies and grilling the chicken.
How to make pasta with summer vegetables?
Step 1: Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Then sprinkle half a teaspoon of chilli powder and salt & pepper to taste on one side of the breasts.
Step 2: Massage the spices & seasoning well into the chicken breasts. Then flip them over and sprinkle remaining chilli powder and salt & pepper to taste on the other side too.
Step 3: Massage the other side too so that the chicken breasts are well marinated with spice and seasonings.
Step 4: Heat a grill pan until smoking hot. Then reduce the heat to medium and brush the grill grates with oil.
Step 5: Place the chicken breasts on the grill pan and leave them undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes on medium flame.
Step 6: After about 6 minutes, flip the chicken breasts over and allow the other side to grill for another 5 minutes.
Pro tip: Chicken breasts cook very fast, in about 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overcook the chicken breasts as they become hard when overcooked.
Step 7: Take the grilled chicken breasts out and allow them to rest on a plate for 10 minutes. Then chop them into bite-sized pieces. Set it aside.
Step 8: Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to the packet instructions until the pasta is al-dente. Then drain the water out by transferring the pasta to a colander. Keep it aside until needed.
Step 9: Now heat a large pan and add half of the olive oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add chopped onion and garlic paste.
Step 10: Sauté the onion and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame until the onion becomes translucent.
Step 11: Next add the zucchini and tomato. Give a good stir to mix them.
Step 12: Season the veggies with salt & pepper to taste. Sauté the veggies on medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes until they slightly change their color.
Step 13: Then add the capsicum/bell pepper. Stir them in and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat until the veggies soften.
Step 14: Now add the black olives and give a quick stir. You don’t need to cook the olives.
Step 15: Drop in the cooked pasta and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the pasta. Stir the pasta using a spatula to mix it in with the veggies.
Step 16: Sprinkle Italian seasoning and throw in the grilled chicken cubes. Then add the grated cheddar cheese over the pasta and chicken.
Step 17: Give a quick mix and leave the pan on low heat for about 6 to 8 minutes to allow the cheese to melt completely.
Step 18: Finally add the fresh basil leaves and toss the pasta using a tong.
Step 19: Switch off the flame and your pasta is ready! Basil will wilt down in the hot pasta and get integrated within the dish!
Step 20: Serve the delicious pasta with summer vegetables and grilled chicken along with your favorite drink! Enjoy!
More delicious pasta recipes from Flavor Quotient
- Chicken breast - 2, skinless & boneless
- Chilli powder - 1 tsp
- Linguine pasta - 250 gms
- Onion - 2, medium, finely chopped
- Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
- Zucchini - 1, small, cut in half-moon
- Tomato - 1, medium, deseeded and cut into small pieces
- Capsicum/bell pepper - 1, small, cut into small chunks
- Black olive - ⅓ cup, pitted & sliced
- Olive oil - ½ cup
- Italian seasoning - 2 tsp
- Cheddar cheese - ½ cup grated
- Fresh Italian basil - ½ cup, loosely packed
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Then sprinkle half a teaspoon of chilli powder and salt & pepper to taste on one side of the breasts.
- Massage the spices & seasoning well into the chicken breasts. Then flip them over and sprinkle remaining chilli powder and salt & pepper to taste on the other side too.
- Massage the other side too so that the chicken breasts are well marinated with spice and seasonings.
- Heat a grill pan until smoking hot. Then reduce the heat to medium and brush the grill grates with oil.
- Place the chicken breasts on the grill pan and leave them undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes on medium flame.
- After about 6 minutes, flip the chicken breasts over and allow the other side to grill for another 5 minutes.
- Take the grilled chicken breasts out and allow them to rest on a plate for 10 minutes. Then chop them into bite-sized pieces. Set it aside.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to the packet instructions until the pasta is al-dente. Then drain the water out by transferring the pasta to a colander. Keep it aside until needed.
- Now heat a large pan and add half of the olive oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add chopped onion and garlic paste.
- Sauté the onion and garlic for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame until the onion becomes translucent.
- Next add the zucchini and tomato. Give a good stir to mix them.
- Season the veggies with salt & pepper to taste. Sauté the veggies on medium flame for 4 to 5 minutes until they slightly change their color.
- Then add the capsicum/bell pepper. Stir them in and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on medium heat until the veggies soften.
- Now add the black olives and give a quick stir. You don’t need to cook the olives.
- Drop in the cooked pasta and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the pasta. Stir the pasta using a spatula to mix it in with the veggies.
- Sprinkle Italian seasoning and throw in the grilled chicken cubes. Then add the grated cheddar cheese over the pasta and chicken.
- Give a quick mix and leave the pan on low heat for about 6 to 8 minutes to allow the cheese to melt completely.
- Finally add the fresh basil leaves and toss the pasta using a tong.
- Switch off the flame and your pasta is ready! Basil will wilt down in the hot pasta and get integrated within the dish!
- Serve the delicious pasta with summer vegetables and grilled chicken along with your favorite drink! Enjoy!
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