Whole Grain Pasta with Zucchini, Tomatoes & Basil

Yield 6 ¼x ½x 1x 2x 3x 4x 5x 6x 7x 8x 9x 10x

Pillar of Nutrition All in for Whole Grains & Eat the Rainbow

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Whole Grain Pasta with Chicken, Zucchini, Tomatoes & Basil

An expert combination of simple ingredients make for a symphony of taste. Chicken, squash, fresh tomatoes, basil and parmesan, yummy, kid approved AND quick to prepare.

Ingredients

• 6 oz. whole grain penne or rotini pasta
• 1 teaspoon salt, for boiling pasta
• 2-3 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 small zucchini, diced
• 1/2 small yellow squash, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes or 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 12-15 basil leaves, torn into strips
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced (optional)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt.
2. Add the pasta to the pot and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
3. While the pasta is cooking, prep the vegetables and cheese. Peel and chop the garlic. Dice the zucchini and squash. Tear basil into strips. Cut the tomatoes in half. Grate the cheese.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for until fragrant. (Be careful not to burn the garlic, which can happen quickly.)
5. Add zucchini and squash, salt and chile flakes or paprika to the skillet and saute for an additional 3-4 minutes.
6. Add cherry tomatoes and chicken to the skillet and saute until skins are slightly blistered and tomatoes are heated through, about 3 - 4 minutes.
7. Add the cooked pasta and toss in the basil and Parmesan cheese.
8. Mix all the ingredients until thoroughly combined then serve while piping hot.

Notes

Variations to Try

• Leave out chicken and double squash amounts
• Try using a different shape of pasta like spaghetti or angel hair

Something to Chew On

• How many different cultures eat pasta as a staple?
• How many different types of tomatoes do you think there are?
• Are tomatoes a fruit or a vegetable?

Nutritional information is approximate guide only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator. The facts are based on one pancake using one tbsp of mixture. Yields about 12 -15 pancakes.

eat the rainbow, all in for whole grains, squash

Created using The Recipes Generator