Loaded Veggie Quinoa Pasta

This Loaded Veggie Quinoa Pasta is a simple, delicious and nutritious meal! Perfect to make ahead for lunch or as a side dish to your next BBQ. (Gluten Free & Vegan)

This post was originally publish in July 2013, Updated July 2016.

Skye is going to be four months old in a little less than a week!

I can hardly believe how the time has flown. We are starting to see glimpses of her personality which is so fun! So far, she’s kind of serious, but at the same time feisty.

I wish I knew what was going on in that little head when she’s looking at me with such a serious expression. She’s also happy. Some days we call her smiley-cat because she blesses us with so many smiles. (Those days are the best!)

She’s getting so big and doing new things every day. Skye loves her playmats and “Mr. Fan” is her hero. (What, you don’t name your fans?) Her mobility is scaring me because I don’t want her to be on the early side of crawling. (Update: She was!)

Yes, I realize that that statement is going to make me have to forfeit my Mother of the Year award, so allow me to explain.

My house is filled with (just about) every Lego that has come out in the last four years. I have two little boys are good about a lot of things, but not leaving random Lego’s out isn’t one of them. I am all the time finding stray pieces left out on a side table, in the carpet or even in the bathroom. I need at least another 6 months to figure that one out because otherwise, my bio is going to read “I am Wendy, Lego hunter!”

For those of you who have emailed and left comments here and on Facebook about wanting to see Princess pictures, they are coming. For a while I was taking pictures of her every day on my iPad so that I could send them to my mom, then I got out of the habit of doing it. I’m going to take some current ones just as soon as her self-induced scratch across the face heals. (Her nails grow faster than I can remember to clip them apparently. #badmom)

Today I am dishing up a fun little pasta salad that I made for dinner last week. This Loaded Veggie Quinoa Pasta is an amazing vegan quinoa pasta recipe that the whole family will love! (Vegan or not!) We had it for dinner and enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day. Pasta salad really is the perfect summer meal!

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Loaded Veggie Quinoa Pasta

Author Wendy Polisi

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Quinoa Pasta Shells
• 1 cup cooked red quinoa
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 small yellow squash cut into ¾ inch pieces
• 1 red pepper seeded and chopped
• 1 cup green beans trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons basil sliced thin

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, spray a large skillet with olive oil and heat to medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add squash, red pepper, green beans and corn. Cook for 5 minutes, until crisp tender.
3. Combine pasta and red quinoa. Toss with vegetables and stir in cherry tomatoes. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste and toss with pasta mixture. Top with almonds and basil and serve warm.

Recipe Notes

Servings 4, Calories 413, Fat 12.3g, Carbohydrates 70.1g, Protein 9.7g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 14mg, Fiber 8.9g, Sugars 4.7g