Recipe: Pasta with marinara sauce and grilled vegetables

This recipe uses several tomatoes, which are in peak season to create a flavorful, light pasta sauce. A variety of fresh, charred vegetables provides a depth to the sauce and color to your meal.

Number of servings: 4

Serving Size: About 1 cup pasta and 1 cup sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 10 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 red peppers, sliced into chunks
• 1 yellow summer squash, sliced lengthwise
• 1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
• 1 sweet onion, sliced into 1/4-inch-wide rounds
• 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti

Directions

Start by making the marinara sauce. In a heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, sugar, garlic, chopped onion, basil, oregano and black pepper. Simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes.

Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.

Brush the red peppers, squash, zucchini and sweet onion with the remaining olive oil. Place the vegetables on the grill rack or broiler pan. Grill or broil, turning as needed, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.

Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta.

Toss pasta with the sauce and grilled vegetables. Serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per serving:

• Calories 363
• Total Fat 10 g
• Saturated fat 1 g
• Trans fat  0 g
• Monounsaturated fat 5 g
• Cholesterol  0 mg
• Sodium 23 mg
• Total carbohydrate 65
• Dietary fiber  12 g
• Added Sugars 1 g
• Protein 12 g

For this recipe and more, visit Mayo Clinic Healthy Recipes