Try this Healthy Twist - A Holiday Veggie Scampi

Sponsored by Holland House Cooking Wine

I am not a super-traditional person. We don’t have any tried and true Holiday traditions outside of ...making sure everyone is having a good time and, well, cozy. There are no menus that NEED to be served, as long as the food is good! One thing I really love to do, you know, is to create a spin on the classics. I love to find ways to make things taste better and help you feel better when you eat them! 

This year, I am really excited to present my family with this amazing alternative to a classic Italian dish! From my days working at a seafood restaurant as a teenager - shrimp scampi is one of my faaaaaavorite meals. But, you know - it’s super heavy. And it doesn’t have to feel that way! There are substitutions that can be made that don’t drastically affect the flavor. The good thing about scampi is that it is a relatively simple recipe which means it is also simple to update. One of the key ingredients is white cooking wine, and I’m thrilled to partner with Holland House Cooking Wines for this recipe. For over 150 years, Holland House has dedicated itself to crafting cooking wines with the finest ingredients that bring your everyday meals to the next level. They use perfectly blended seasonings, aged to perfection, to offer bold flavor intensity that can stand the heat in any kitchen.

In sticking with the plant-based ingredients and a holiday spirit, instead of the traditional shrimp scampi, we are opting for a veggie-packed scampi! This one includes vegetables that I thought would make it bright and cheerful, but you can definitely use whatever sounds good to you - broccoli, cauliflower, and peas would also be delicious.

Now, you can serve this over traditional pasta, gluten-free pasta (like I did), zucchini noodles, white rice, gnocchi, polenta, or even just on a nice crusty bread! This recipe is quick - promise! It should take you less than 30 minutes to put together, and you can feel free to reduce or substitute any of the vegetables below to make for less chopping!

Ingredients

• 3 portobello mushrooms, wiped clean with a cloth and cut into small pieces

• 1 red pepper, julienned

• 1 orange pepper, julienned

• 1 yellow pepper, julienned

• 1 small zucchini, chopped

• 1 small yellow squash, chopped

• ½ small onion, diced

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, minced 

• Zest from 1 lemon

• Juice from ½ of that lemon

• 1 cup vegetable broth

• 1 box of pasta (I used a gluten-free long pasta)

• ½ cup of Holland House White Cooking Wine. With a crisp, white-wine aroma, it offers a slightly dry, but distinctive flavor, perfect for cooking lighter dishes.

• Sea Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 ½ tbsp nutritional yeast

• 2 tbsp bread crumbs of your choice (you can find gluten-free if you need!)

• ½ tsp red pepper flakes

• ½ tsp oregano

• 3 tbsp vegan butter

• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped fine

Instructions

1. For the vegetables - you can use whatever you have on hand. I just liked the colors of these and I wanted something substantial to keep me full!

2. Chop up all of your vegetables so they are ready. I tried to make the cut of each thing different - for example, I cut the zucchini into little matchsticks, but kept the squash in small triangles, and the peppers in julienne. This keeps each bite interesting :)

3. If you want to super-infuse the vegetables with flavor, you can let them sit in (additional) olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes for 20 minutes before cooking, but this is not mandatory if you are short on time.

4. Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350. You can also saute them separately from the sauce, but I find this saves time and dishes! You may need to adjust the time depending on which you choose - something larger and thicker will require more time.

5. While the veggies are roasting, cook pasta according to package directions.

6. Then, warm the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.

7. Saute garlic for 2 minutes and then add Holland House White Cooking Wine and let simmer until the liquid is half of what it started as.

8. Add lemon juice, red pepper flakes and vegetable broth and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes. If you want the kids to have this, you may want to omit the flakes unless they like a little heat :) You can also add a dash of hot sauce instead!

9. While sauce is simmering, combine nutritional yeast and breadcrumbs in a small bowl.

10. The sauce should look glossy when it is ready to be added with pasta. At this point, add in the 3 tbsp of butter and chopped parsley and stir through. Coat pasta and vegetables in the sauce.

11. Once pasta is coated, sprink with breadcrumb mix and toss again to combine.

12. Serve immediately for best results!

I hope those of you looking for a unique holiday recipe found what you were looking for here! I am so grateful to be able to share these recipes with you, especially when I can include some of my favorite brands along the way! Don’t forget to pick up one of their amazing cooking wines to add the perfect touch to your holiday recipes this year. You can find them locally at Giant or check out their website here. Holland House Cooking Wines are available in five flavor-boosting and versatile varieties: Marsala, Sherry, White, Red and White with Lemon.

Sponsored by Holland House Cooking Wine. Find more recipe inspiration at Holland House Slow Cooker Recipes.