What’s not to love about summer?

The weather is fine, the world is green and gorgeous. The summer months are also the time when many vegetables like tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini are in season. Eating seasonally is a great way to get the most nutritious and tasty veggies available. And its also good for the planet.

What better way to celebrate summer than to combine these into an awesome pasta dish!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 medium zucchini
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 package of bite sized pasta (like penne, bow-tie, or elbow)
• 1 lemon
• 1 avocado
• 2 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• salt to taste

First, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Once it is cooked and drained, drizzle with some olive oil to keep it from sticking. Then mince the garlic and throw it in a pan with some olive oil and turn up the heat. Cut the eggplant and zucchini into bite sized pieces (approximately as big as the pasta) and add them to the pan once the garlic has become fragrant. Let them cook for about five minutes.

Dice the tomato and add to the pan. Leave it just for one minute and then remove everything from the heat. Mix the veggies in with the pasta and add the oregano. Dice the avocado and the mozzarella and toss them in with the pasta. Finally, zest the lemon and the zest on top of the pasta salad before squeezing the juice in as well. Mix it thoroughly and eat it warm or cold.

And there you have it, a delicious, seasonal dish packed with nutrition!

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Apprentice Editor: Kathryn Muyskens / Editor: Travis May

Photo: Pixabay