Pasta is always a favorite in our home, and it's even more enjoyable when everyone joins in the kitchen. This simple gluten-free brown rice pasta is colorful, nourishing, and filled with wholesome vegetables. In Ayurveda, warm, freshly prepared meals with seasonal vegetables, digestive spices, and a touch of ghee are a beautiful way to support healthy digestion and create joyful family moments.
Ingredients
- 14 oz Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Brown Rice Pasta (cook according to package directions)
- 1½ cups zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1/2 a cup bell peppers, sliced
- 5–6 cherry or grape tomatoes (less is more in our household)
- ½ cup broccoli, chopped
- ¼ cup baby corn, chopped
- ½ cup shredded cabbage
- 2 tbsp black olives, chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika or Kashmiri chili powder
- 1½ tsp Himalayan salt (adjust to taste)
- 3 tbsp Organic Valley cream cheese
- ¼ cup Organic Valley mozzarella, shredded (or mozzarella string cheese, chopped)
- 3 tbsp ghee
- Fresh lemon wedges
- Extra shredded mozzarella and a few fresh basil leaves for garnish
Method
- Cook the Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Brown Rice Pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of ghee in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the bell peppers and cherry tomatoes first, allowing them to soften and gently caramelize. Next, add the zucchini and baby corn, stirring well until the vegetables are lightly cooked yet still vibrant.
- Add the Himalayan salt, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and paprika (or Kashmiri chili powder). Mix well, cover with a lid, and let everything cook on low heat for about 3 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend beautifully.
- Remove the lid and stir in the cream cheese until creamy and well incorporated( about 1 minute).
- Pour in the reserved 1 cup of pasta water along with 1 additional cup of warm water. Stir gently and let the sauce come to a light simmer. Then add the mozzarella cheese too. Mix well.
- Now add the broccoli, shredded cabbage, and fresh basil. These vegetables go in at the very end—just 1–2 minutes before adding the pasta—so they retain their bright green color, freshness, gentle crunch, and nourishing qualities.
- Add the cooked pasta and fold everything together until each strand is beautifully coated, allowing it to melt gently into the pasta. close the lid and let it simmer on low for 3 more minutes. Open the lid and mix well, serve with hot.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves, a sprinkle of mozzarella, and serve with fresh lemon wedges for a bright, refreshing finish.
This recipe is one of our family's favorites—simple, colorful, and nourishing. Cooking together, using fresh ingredients, and sharing a warm meal is one of the simplest ways to nourish both the body and the soul.
Brown rice pasta provides sustained energy amid source of Carbohydrates and children burnout and is an essential need as part of their diet, while bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini, and fresh basil contribute antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients that support overall wellness. Italian herbs, black pepper, fresh basil and paprika gently kindle Agni (digestive fire), and grass-fed ghee, Ayurveda's treasured fat, nourishes the tissues (Dhatus) while enhancing the absorption of nutrients. Organic cream cheese and mozzarella add satisfying protein and calcium, making this a complete and comforting family meal.
In Ayurveda, nourishment is not just about what we eat, but how we prepare, digest, and enjoy our food. Freshly cooked meals with seasonal vegetables, digestive spices, and wholesome fats help support balance, vitality, and well-being.
Thank you for visiting Food for the Soul. We invite you to explore more Ayurvedic-inspired recipes, handmade organic herbal teas, traditional medicated Ghritams, personalized Ayurvedic consultations, and our integrative prediabetes wellness program. May every meal nourish your body, mind, and soul.
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Ayurvedic Products:
Teas: https://foodforthesoul.net/collections/tea
Medicated Gritham: https://foodforthesoul.net/collections/ghee
Culinary Dosha Balancing Spices: https://foodforthesoul.net/pages/spices
Sundari Devi Dasi
MS Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine
