Here’s another one of our all time favorites!
Top whole grain pasta with a healthy marinara sauce (see notes), roasted veggies, and home-made Faux Parmesan for added delicious-ness!
1 red onion
1 large red bell pepper
1 pound fresh asparagus (remove tough ends)
2 cups button mushrooms (clean and remove stems)
2 tomatoes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian herbs
1 tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
8-12 oz. whole grain pasta, cook and drain according to package directions
(Choose the spaghetti sauce of your choice. Use an oil-free brand such as Aldi’s organic marinara, tomato basil, or roasted garlic; or make your own delicious sauce with this recipe or this recipe.)
Preheat oven to 425. Cut all vegetables into bite size pieces. Place veggies in a bowl and toss with spices. Spread in a single layer on 1-2 large baking sheets lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, and bake until just tender – about 10-12 minutes.
(NOTE: If using a silicone baking mat, be sure to adjust your oven to not exceed the MAX temperature the mat is rated. For example, my silicone mat is rated for 450 degrees max, so I roast my veggies at 425 to be safe). Arrange pasta on platter, top with marinara and roasted veggies.
Faux Parmesan
Equal amounts of cashews* and nutritional yeast (example: 1/4 cup each) with either salt (or a no-salt spice such as Mrs. Dash) or garlic powder, to season as you like. Grind in blender until powdery, but use caution….if you blend too long it will turn into paste.
*For a lower fat version, replace half (or all) of the cashews with rolled oats.