Quinoa Pasta with Roasted Veggies, Cannellini Beans and Rainbow Chard and I've been tagged!

While our dinner last night was nothing fancy, in fact, it was a very humble dish of pasta, veggies, and beans, it was nutritious, hearty, delicious and filling. These qualities equal a winner in my book, not to mention, this meal was perfectly in line with my budding whole foods, minimally processed, non ‘holy trinity’ emphasis in cooking!

The veggies were so pretty, they deserved their own picture.

Quinoa Pasta with Roasted Veggies, Cannellini Beans and Rainbow Chard

Serves 4 (two big dinners, and two nice sized leftover lunches for us)

1 8 oz. box of quinoa spiral pasta
1 zucchini, roasted and sliced
1 yellow squash, roasted and sliced
1/2 butternut squash cubed and roasted
3-4 cloves of garlic, roasted and sliced*
1 red bell pepper, roasted and sliced
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed**
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
3 leaves of rainbow chard, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup veggie broth
mushroom onion marinara (or any vegan marinara)
toasted pine nuts (optional)

Have roasted veggies prepped ahead of time and this makes a quick meal.

Otherwise, preheat oven to 425.

Heat coconut oil on a baking sheet to melt.

Wash zucchini, yellow squash and bell pepper. Cut in half and place on baking sheet. Cut butternut into small cubes and place on baking sheet.

Cut 1/2 inch off the top of a clove of garlic. Drizzle with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Wrap in foil and place on baking sheet.

Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until tender. The garlic is done when it feels soft when gently squeezed through the foil, it may need to go longer than the squash and peppers. Let veggies cool for a few minutes, then slice.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat veggie broth in skillet and add chard in batches, stirring often, until soft.

If topping with toasted pine nuts, simply heat an unoiled skillet, toss in pine nuts and cook, stirring frequently over medium heat until golden brown.

Transfer veggies and beans to a large pot. Add marinara and heat through.

Serve sauce over hot, cooked noodles.

Top with optional toasted pine nuts for an extra treat.

*You can refrigerate the leftovers for use in a different meal.

**I don't usually use canned beans but I had never tried cannellini before, and didn't want to buy a lot on the off chance I didn't like them. I also didn't see dried cannellini beans available, I'll have to look around for a local supplier.

The always informative and supreme kitty picture taker, Cookiemouse, has tagged me to partake in a neat little quiz!

1. What were you doing 10 years ago? In 1998?

Haha! This might be a more illustrative question for someone older. In 1998, I hadn't even started high school! But likely I was being an all around punk in the throes of puberty. :-)

What were you doing 1 year ago?

Ok, this one I can answer better. A year ago I was finishing my studies in psychology and sociology at a small, private liberal arts college in Columbia, Missouri. I was also working as a cashier for the University of Missouri - Columbia.

2. Five favorite snacks?

These questions always seem to put me on the spot, but I'll do my best. These are in no particular order: fresh fruit (preferably clementines, strawberries, or cantaloupe); whole wheat pita and veggies with garlicky hummus; dried fruit and nuts; Nature's Path Hemp Plus Raisin granola bars; a big glass of chocolate hemp milk

3. Five favorite toys?

Does the library count?! Hehe. My five favorite toys would have to be (again in no particular order): e-book reader; thumb drive; Playstation; camera; chess board (though I don't get to play enough and I suck terribly)

4. What I like doing

Hmm. Well, I like doing a lot of things, but in particular I enjoy: walking, bird watching, reading, cooking/baking, talking about current issues, watching documentaries, reading blogs, collecting recipes, listening to music, being silly, playing the occasional video game, forever contemplating co-authoring a book with Brett about stupidity (what a dumb idea, hehe), you get the gist.

5. My bad habits

Oh where to begin? Well, I'm going to steal one of Cookiemouse's responses: I drink too much caffeine, my favorite teas are even caffeinated. I procrastinate a lot, am too forgetful, and am horrible with the phone to the point where my family and friends often wonder if I'm still alive. (I seriously hate the phone - a lot, never have been fan, I rarely answer the phone [unless you're Brett], don't return calls, etc. I don't mean to be rude, I just hate it. My friends have come to understand that I am really weird about things, the phone being one of them. There are certain things you have to get used to when befriending someone like me.)

I guess this means I need to tag a few folks myself. Mwahahaha! So, I'll have to tag Romina (of the Vegan Eating for One blog), Lindsay (aka the Happy Herbivore), and Lori (of the Pleasantly Plump Vegan blog). Since Cookiemouse already tagged Lizzy, I won't double-do it, but I was going to tag you Lizzy!

‘Til next time!