Corn Pasta Sauce with Marinated Fresh Veggies

Summer might be “over” with September here, but gardens and markets still have much to offer in the way of summer produce! And this dish is perfect for using up some of your collection.

A vegan pasta sauce made from corn and dairy free soy milk, delicately coats whole wheat spaghetti, and acts as a tasty bed for a medley of marinated fresh vegetables. This meal is packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins…and flavor! You’ll have your family gobbling it down in no time. And it’s super easy to prepare. Embrace the end of summer and get to it!

Corn Pasta Sauce with Marinated Fresh Veggies, adapted from Scaling Back

Serves 6

Corn Pasta Sauce

• 3 ears fresh corn, shaved off
• 1.5 C plain soymilk
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp each of sea salt and black pepper

Marinated Veggies

• 1 C cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced (or use half, if spicy isn’t for you)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 C fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp each of sea salt and black pepper

Pasta Dish

• 10 oz whole wheat spaghetti (or use a GF variety)
• 1 C corn pasta sauce
• 1/2 C pasta water
• 1 ear fresh corn, shaved off

Begin by making the corn pasta sauce. Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside.

Chop veggies and combine all of the marinade ingredients with the veggies into a bowl. Set aside.

Bring pasta to a boil in a large pot. Cook to al dente.

Before draining the cooked pasta, reserve a half cup of the pasta water. Let the rest drain.

Heat a large pan over medium-high. Pour in one cup of the corn pasta sauce, the extra shaved corn, and the cooked pasta. Mix together and heat through. Add pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.

Keep remaining corn pasta sauce in a container in the fridge for later use – perhaps to blend with mashed potatoes?

Serve pasta into bowls. Top with the marinated veggies. Enjoy with a nice cold beer 🙂