Pasta Toss with Zucchini, Beans, Tomatoes, and Feta (Dreamfields giveaway)

Pasta saves me at least one night a week. When I want dinner on the table fast, or when I forget to take something out to thaw that morning before work, having pasta waiting in the pantry is a saving grace.

But I also tend to fall into ruts when it comes to pasta, making the same sauce almost every time. So lately, I’ve been trying to make myself try new combos. Homemade cream sauces. Asian and Thai inspired flavors.

And instead of buying the usual suspects at the store, I’ve been finding new things like these incredible citrus-stuffed olives that I’m obsessed with and our homemade pesto (that I completely forgot I had in the freezer).

This mix is one of my favorite flavor combos, and I’ve done something similar with couscous before but hadn’t tried it with pasta. Until this week!

I love anything with feta, so I knew this would be a hit. And even with only half a box of pasta, this made enough for a dinner and a couple of lunches this week, leaving me less work to figure out what to pack for the day.

The best part? This pasta takes less than 30 minutes AND it’s delicious and good for you! You wouldn’t think that something as easy as pasta with white beans, zucchini, tomatoes, feta, and olive oil would be this tasty…but it is.

And Dreamfields – our favorite pasta – is offering up an entire case of pasta for one of you! Yup – a whole case of pasta. Now that’s a way to stock your pantry!

To enter:

Tell me your favorite pasta dish.

For extra entries:

Tweet about the giveaway and let me know you did

Like Dreamfields on Facebook

Like BranAppetit on Facebook

Good luck!!

Print

Pasta Toss with Zucchini, Beans, Tomatoes, and Feta

Yield: 3-4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This stovetop pasta dish is one of the easiest - and satisfying meals - ever! It's full of flavor, but light on ingredients, so it won't take all of your time or pantry to pull this together. Want even more flavor? I love adding good olives to this or cooked chicken for even more protein.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Dreamfields rotini
• 1/3 cup +1 tsp olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
• ½ cup roasted tomatoes or sundried tomatoes in olive oil
• 1 12 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp olive oil to the pan and add the sliced zucchini. Cook - not stirring – for 4-5 minutes on one side until the zucchini begins to brown. Stir the zucchini and cook for another 3-5 minutes until the zucchini is cooked.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a palmful of salt and stir in pasta, returning to a boil. Cook the pasta over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 8-9 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and beans to the pan with the zucchini. Cook over medium heat, about 5 minutes until everything is warmed through.
4. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and return it to the pot. Add the zucchini mixture to the pasta and toss together with the 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Let the pasta cool for about 5 minutes, then stir in the crumbled feta cheese. Serve warm or chilled.

This contest is open to U.S. residents only. I will choose the winner a week from today. Dreamfields sponsored this post and is offering the case of pasta for the giveaway – all recipes and opinions are my own.