Whole Wheat Pasta Bowl (Printable)

Hearty whole wheat pasta with roasted vegetables and creamy protein sauce for a satisfying, balanced meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz whole wheat penne or fusilli

→ Roasted Vegetables

02 - 1 small zucchini, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
04 - 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
05 - 1 red onion, sliced
06 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
09 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Protein Sauce

10 - 1 can (14 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
11 - ½ cup low-fat Greek yogurt
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
15 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional
16 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Garnish

17 - 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
18 - Fresh parsley, chopped
19 - Additional Parmesan cheese, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F.
02 - Arrange diced zucchini, chopped bell peppers, sliced red onion, and halved cherry tomatoes on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with dried Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
03 - Roast vegetables for 20 to 25 minutes until tender and lightly caramelized, stirring halfway through cooking.
04 - Cook whole wheat pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water following package directions. Drain pasta and reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water.
05 - Combine drained cannellini beans, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, minced garlic, fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese if using, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add reserved pasta water as needed to achieve silky consistency.
06 - Return drained pasta to the pot. Add roasted vegetables and protein sauce. Toss gently to combine, adding reserved pasta water gradually as needed to loosen sauce to desired consistency.
07 - Divide pasta mixture between serving bowls. Top each bowl with toasted pine nuts, fresh parsley, and additional Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like comfort but won't leave you sluggish afterward—the whole wheat and beans keep you full for hours.
  • Everything comes together in under 45 minutes, so weeknight dinner actually feels manageable instead of exhausting.
  • You can build it with whatever vegetables are lurking in your produce drawer, so it's never the same twice.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—that starchy liquid can make your sauce gummy if you leave it in.
  • That reserved pasta water is not just a backup; using it to adjust consistency makes your sauce cling to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom.
  • Whole wheat pasta needs every minute the package suggests or it stays grainy—don't try to rush it just because regular pasta cooks faster.
03 -
  • Make the sauce first while your vegetables roast, and by the time everything is ready to combine, the flavors will have already begun talking to each other.
  • Toast your own pine nuts in a dry skillet for about three minutes if you bought them raw—that step alone elevates the whole bowl from weeknight dinner to something more intentional.
  • This bowl is even better the next day after the flavors have settled, so consider making double and storing half in the fridge for a grab-and-go lunch.
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