Double Vegetable Pasta with Butter Parmesan Sauce is a family meal that combines asparagus and zucchini with butter and parmesan coated spaghetti. Keep it a vegetarian meal made in 30 minutes and in 1 pan or add bacon for a little meat. The vegetables can easily be swapped for your favorites!
This Double Vegetable Pasta with Butter Parmesan Sauce is heartier version of our family favorite favorite favorite pasta with butter and parmesan (pinned over 7K times!).
This creation was born out of our craving for pasta with butter and parmesan tonight, and my need to use up the fresh squash and asparagus before we went on vacation.
And because everything is better with bacon, why not add that too?
Boy, was it delicious! Let me tell you all about why you and you're family will love this meal too!
Why will you love double vegetable pasta with butter parmesan sauce?
- Double vegetable pasta with butter parmesan sauce is a great family meal for busy nights. It's ready in only 30 minutes!
- If you keep it vegetarian and don't use bacon, this is a one-pot meal. Yay for easy clean up! Keeping the bacon? Cook it in the oven while you prepare the rest of the meal.
- Your kids will love it, even the pickiest eaters! I mean, who doesn't love butter, cheese, and spaghetti?? (and bacon..find me someone who doesn't like bacon!)
- If your kids are the super-picky "I hate vegetables!" kind, you can easily pick them out! I definitely have to do this on the nights my kids suddenly hate the veggies they loved the day before.
- The "heat" level is adjustable. This recipe calls for 2 pounds of pasta and 3 teaspoon of black pepper. If this sounds like too much pepper for your family, decreasing the amount will still give you a fantastic, flavorful meal. Even with 3 teaspoon of pepper, this meal is not spicy.
- Asparagus is a nutrient-loaded vegetable. Asparagus contains fiber, folate, and a plethora of vitamins. It has 0 fat and very few calories.
- Yellow squash is full of fiber, protein and has 0 fat.
Those are all the great facts about this recipe! I can't think of one reason to tell you not to make it, so let's get cooking!
Ingredients
Double vegetable pasta requires 7 fresh and delicious ingredients:
- spaghetti
- bacon (optional)
- asparagus
- yellow squash or zucchini
- butter
- pepper
- grated Parmesan
How To Make Double Vegetable Pasta with Butter Parmesan Sauce
Before we get started, let's chat about a few important things.
Tips for Making Double Veggie Pasta
My first attempt at this recipe did not turn out well. First, I had bitter asparagus (not my fault), but I didn't know it was too late to fix it. I also added too much pasta water to the sauce and doing so reduced the cheesy flavor I was going for. Don't make the same mistake!
Pasta with butter parmesan sauce should taste like...pasta with butter and and parmesan cheese. It is not meant to be slathered in a watery sauce. The cheese and pepper should be the main flavors, with the butter elevating it's richness. It's such a simple mistake to avoid once you know this. Not adding too much reserved water will make a world of a difference!
Let's talk about the pepper. The amount of pepper this double vegetable pasta calls for does not make the meal spicy. Yes, it gives it a peppery flavor. If you are concerned that the amount of pepper won't sit well with your family, don't add it all to the butter. Wait til the end. Taste it. Add more using your discretion, or let everyone add pepper to their own bowls.
Last, don't overcook the veggies. This is really easy to do with squash. They should be tender crisp, just soft enough to poke a fork through them without forcing it.
Instructions
Now here's how to do it:
- If using the bacon, cook in the oven or on the stove according to the package. Break into bits and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large salted pot of water to a boil (hint: cover to boil quicker) and cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain, reserving pasta water for later use.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in the spaghetti pot over medium heat. Add zucchini and asparagus. Cook 4 minutes then set aside.
- Melt the remaining butter. Add the pepper and toast for 1 minute, whisking continously. Remove from the heat.
- Toss the spaghetti with the butter sauce. Add parmesan 1 cup at a time, stirring to coat the pasta. If the sauce seems dry, add the reserved pasta water ½ cup at a time. Taste and season with more pepper if desired.
- Transfer to individual bowls and top with bacon bits and veggies.
Enjoy!
Recipe
Double Vegetable Pasta with Butter Parmesan Sauce
Ingredients
- 16 oz spaghetti
- 8 bacon slices (optional)
- 10 asparagus spears, cut into pieces
- 2 yellow squash or zucchini, sliced into half moons
- 16 tablespoon butter
- 3 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups grated Parmesan
Instructions
- If using, cook bacon in the oven or on the stove according to the package. Break into bits and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large salted pot of water to a boil (hint: cover to boil quicker) and cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain, reserving pasta water for later use.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in the spaghetti pot over medium heat. Add zucchini and asparagus. Cook 4 minutes then set aside.
- Melt the remaining butter. Add the pepper and toast for 1 minute, whisking continously. Remove from heat.
- Toss the spaghetti with the butter sauce. Add parmesan 1 cup at a time, stirring to coat pasta. If sauce seems dry, add reserved pasta water ½ cup at a time. Taste and season with more pepper if desired.
- Transfer to individual bowls and top with bacon bits and veggies.
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you’ve enjoyed this double vegetable pasta with parmesan sauce. Please let me know what you thought in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you!
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