Penne with Zucchini Peas and Vegan Feta Cheese Recipe. I don’t always post my supper dishes, particularly if they’re pasta based because I think people might find them a bit boring to read about. However, I know that quick suppers are probably one of the most helpful recipes you can share, so here we are.
Pasta can guarantee you a speedy, nutritious and tasty supper and if you’ve had a busy day, sometimes this is all you want. Pasta dishes just tick all the boxes. And the more inspiration I can get for quick pasta dishes the better, so feel free to share your favourite recipe in the comments!
Yesterday, I asked myself, what do I want for supper? The reply was brief and swift: “Pasta”.
I like it when I prepare pasta because it generally means we will eat before 7pm. If I choose anything more complex, we’re lucky if we eat before 8pm.
Apart from pasta being quick, it is also a good way of using up the rubbery vegetables shoved to the back of the refrigerator drawer. I remembered that I had a couple of courgettes (or zucchini, if you will) that were well past their ‘freshly picked’ status and a small block of vegan feta cheese that was really reaching its limit in the fridge!
Saute the onion and courgette 
A block of vegan goats cheese 
add the peas 
and then the cheese 
and milk 
Simmer until thickened then add herbs
Aside from these two choice ingredients, some vegan Parmesan, a half empty bag of penne, a mushy onion and a handful of frozen peas also woefully resided in my kitchen. An evil plan started to form in my brain. How about pasta with feta cheese, courgette and frozen peas? All of the necessary food types in one pan!
And any fears I had of this being a little bland were quickly pushed to one side once I tried it. The feta cheese had added its familiar tang to the dish, the courgette chimed in with a yummy green bite, the peas threw in some pop-on-your-tongue sweetness for good luck and some sauteed onions and garlic tied the whole thing together with a big Allium bow.
Contents
What Kind of Vegan Cheese Can You Use?
I like to use Greek-Style (I like the Violife variety, available widely in UK supermarkets) and also vegan Goat-style cheese from La Fauxmagerie, vegan cheesemongers based in East London. They offer mail order options for their artisanal vegan cheeses, so this is not the cheaper option to use in this kind of dish. I had visited there so had some of their vegan-style herby goats cheese (comparable to the flavour of Boursin), and I used this. I would normally use the Violife Greek-style (Feta) cheese though.
Whatever cheeze you do decide to use, make sure it has a nice salty tang to it, needed to counteract the sweetness of the zucchini and peas.
I also have a feeling that this would be a great way to get vegetable loathing children to eat their greens, particularly if you use a fancy, child-friendly shaped pasta, like the bow-ties. You can also omit the feta cheese and use an alternative strong flavoured cheese, like cheddar or just parmesan all the way.
Other Ways to Serve my Penne with Zucchini, Peas and Vegan Cheese Recipe
- Fry up some vegan bacon and add this to the dish (but I think it would spoil the herby good-naturedness of the vegetables, turning into something a bit more decadent and, yes, fattening). But why not go the whole (vegan) hog, and just add the fried up bacon, and pour over a little plant-based cream to make it even more unctuous.
- Try Asparagus, Broad Beans or Green Beans instead of Peas
- Use your favourite shape pasta
Ingredients
- 200 g Dried Penne (or pasta shapes of your choice)
- 1 Small Onion, peeled, halved and sliced thinly
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 block (150g) Vegan Feta or Goat-style Cheese
- 1 Courgette (about 200g), topped, tailed and cut into roughly 1cm cubes
- 50 g Frozen Peas
- 150ml Plant-Based Milk or Cream
- 50 ml White Wine (optional but it does add a great dimension to the dish)
- Small handful basil or parsley, roughly chopped or torn
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet, but leave it a little al dente. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking liquor. Lightly oil the pasta and place to one side.
- Heat the olive oil gently in a sauté pan and cook the sliced onion until soft.
- Add the courgette and minced garlic, and fry gently until the courgette starts to turn translucent. Season lightly.
- Crumble in the feta cheese and then add the pasta stirring well to combine.
- Pour over the milk, white wine and pasta cooking liquor and bring to a rapid boil. You are aiming for most of the liquid to cookoff, leaving a light coating on the pasta. This should take no longer than 5minutes.
- Remove from the heat, taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Stir in the basil or parsley
- Serve in large, deep bowls sprinkled with a little vegan parmesan if you like
This sounds so delicious as a quick summer night recipe!
Such a great summer pasta filled with so many veggies!
Wow delicious!
Love how simple and delicious this is!
Making this! Sounds so creamy and delicious!!