Creamy Zucchini Spaghetti with Vegan Feta Sauce
Similar to the way that Pasta Primavera celebrates the freshness of Springtime vegetables, this dish is a salute to Summer ☀️ It starts summery yellow squash and zucchini - which are so fresh this time of year, they're tender and sweet, and exceptionally flavorful - lightly sautéed in a white wine garlic sauce along with a sun ripened cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and lots of lemon. Summer in a bowl!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
The Veggies
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 large yellow squash chopped
- 2 large zucchini chopped
- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes the yellow/orange ones are great for this :)
The Sauce
- 1/2 cup pasta water aka the liquid the noodles were cooking in*
- 1 batch Whipped Vegan Feta roughly 1.5 cups, recipe below*
- 1/4 cup vegan parmesan I like VioLife for this
- 1 tbsp capers (optional) drained
- 2 handfuls fresh basil leaves plus more for serving
The Noodles
- 10 oz spaghetti
The Finishing Touches
- 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp nutrtional yeast optional
- lots of salt and pepper
Instructions
The Veggies 🌱
- Start by dicing the onion, mincing the garlic, and chopping the squash and zucchini into small bite-sized pieces. Then set aside.
- Warm a large pot on medium heat, add 2 tbsp of oil, and sweat the onions for 2 to 3 minutes or until softened. Lower the heat if they start to brown, we don't want a lot of color on the onions.
- Then add the garlic and feel free to add a small splash of water to the pan if it gets too dry.
- Then add the miso paste, red pepper flakes, oregano, and mix. Add the white wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes to allow the liquid to cook down.
- Then add in the squash, zucchini, and tomatoes and toss to coat. Cook only for 1-2 minutes to soften slightly. It will cook more later so you don't want the veggies to be too soft. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and set aside.
Make the Noodles
- In another large pot, add spaghetti to boiling water and cook until al dente. In the meantime, you can prep your Creamy Feta Spread (recipe below) (unless you already made it, in which case...put on some cooking tunes and pour yourslf a glass of wine? 😊)
The Sauce
- About two minutes before the noodles are done cooking, you can return the veggies to the stove on low heat. Laddle in 1/2 cup of the water that the noodles were cooking in - and it's a good idea to laddle out another 1/2 cup to have on hand in case the sauce gets too thick and you want to thin it out later.
- Then add 1.5 cups of the Creamy Feta Spread to the pot along with the basil, vegan parmesan, and capers.
- Drain the noodles and add to the pot with the veggies. Toss for 1-2 minutes oven low heat to bring the sauce together. It will be thin at first and then thicken as it simmers and the motion of tossing the pasta will help to emoulsify and thicken it. You'll know it's ready for the next step when it's glossy and thick, and clings to the noodles nicely.
The Finishing Touches 🍋
- Finishing touches are more than garnish, which is often though of as optional. In this recipe, the finsihing touches are what make the dish and it's where you can really customize the flavors to your liking 😊
- The way I do it is to taste one noodle to see what it needs. At this stage it usually needs a good amount of salt and pepper - you'd be amazed at how much salt and pepper can really make the flavors pop! I also find that a good squeeze of lemon really makes the tanginess in the Feta Sauce sing, and I usually sprinkle in just a touch of nutritional yeast or additional vegan parmesan just before serving too. Taste and adjust until it tastes perfect to you! It should be creamy, salty, tangy, garlicy, and bursting with flavor! Once it's just right, your'e ready to serve!
- For optimal Summery vibes, serve this spaghetti in a big bowl along side a fresh green salad, and chilled glass of wine ☀️ Enjoy!