One Pot Vegetable Penne Pasta

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces penne pasta
  • 1½ cups sliced cherry tomatoes
  • 1½ cups thinly sliced leeks
  • 1 cup zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch thick half moons
  • ½ cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
  • 3 small garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 sprig of basil
  • 2¼ cups water

top with:

  • chopped parsley
  • toasted pine nuts
  • grated parmesan cheese or Vegan Hemp Seed Topping, optional

Vegan Hemp Seed Topping

  • ½ cup hemp seeds
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
  • pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, combine the pasta, tomatoes, leeks, zucchini, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes and basil. Add the water and stir. Bring to a boil, cover, and boil for 8 minutes. Give it a stir around the 5 minute mark to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan and put the the cover back on. At 8 minutes, test the pasta for doneness. Remove the pot from the heat, stir, and let it sit for about 2 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
  2. Make the Vegan Hemp Seed Topping: In a food processor, combine the hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds and salt and pulse to combine.
  3. Serve with the chopped parsley, toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese or Vegan Hemp Seed Topping, if using.

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