Creamy Pasta with Veggies

Stir-fried vegetables tossed with brown rice spirals and coated with creamy Parmesan sauce. Easy vegetarian lunch or dinner. Even better reheated the next day. Don't have spirals on hand? Use cooked rice with Parmesan, but hold on the mayo.



Serves 2
30 minutes
-large saucepan or wok
-large pot to cook pasta
Easy

INGREDIENTS
2 c. uncooked pasta spirals (little under half a Tinkyada 12 oz. bag))
1 medium head of broccoli
1 medium-small zucchini
1 medium-small yellow zucchini squash
1/2 of a small green bell pepper
1 medium white onion
2 tbsp. peanut oil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. rosemary leaves
2 tsp. McCormick lemon pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Sauce:
4 heaping tsp. mayonnaise*
1/4 c. (or more) Parmesan cheese-- I used Galaxy Nutritional Foods Vegan grated Parmesan cheese for dairy-free option
*Hellman's and Kraft mayos are GF

DIRECTIONS
1. Start the pasta cooking in a large pot according to directions.
2. Wash and cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Cut both the zucchini and yellow zucchini into 1/2 inch slices, then quarter each slice. Also coarsely cut green bell pepper and white onion into small-ish pieces (1/2 inch squares).
3. Place broccoli, zucchini, and yellow zucchini into a large wok or saucepan. Pour high-heat oil over the top (I used peanut) and begin cooking over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add in the green bell pepper and white onion, plus more oil (if needed). Stir veggies well to coat all with oil. Season generously with garlic powder, some dried rosemary leaves and a bunch of lemon pepper. Stir, then add a little salt and pepper to taste.
5. Stir-fry veggie for another 5-10 minutes, depending on how tender you want them. By now your brown rice pasta should be done. Remove veggies from heat and tend to pasta.
6. Drain the cooked pasta, rising well with cold water to get the rice film off. Don't bother totally drying the spirals, since a little accidentally reserved water will help the sauce out.
7. Place pasta back into big pot. Stir 4 tsp. (I used an actual dinner spoon) mayo in with the pasta, till well coated. Also add in Parmesan cheese, stirring gently. Taste pasta.. add in more mayo, cheese, or lemon pepper if too bland.
8. Gently toss hot, cooked veggies into the pasta till they, too, are lightly coated with sauce. The veggies should warm up the cool pasta, but reheat dish over low heat until warm enough to serve. Again, toasted bread crumbs would add a nice touch.