20-minutes (chopping included!) is all you need to make this delicious, vegetarian halloumi pasta loaded with veggies. A light and summery dish without cream, this is a great summer dinner that lets the veggies shine.
Add in the chopped garlic, shallots and chili. Fry for about a minute while stirring, until slightly browned and shallots have softened.
1 garlic clove, 2 shallots, 1 red chili
Add in the chopped zucchini and fry for a minute while stirring.
1 small zucchini
Add in the sliced white button mushrooms with the remaining butter, and fry for a minute while stirring. Add more butter if needed to completely satiate the mushrooms.
4 white button mushrooms, 3 tablespoon butter
Add the chopped asparagus. Fry for two minutes while stirring.
12 asparagus
Pour in the white wine and stir. Simmer for a minute a, until about half the liquid has evaporated.
¾ cups dry white wine
Lower the heat to medium and mix in the chopped halloumi. Cook for about 2 minutes until the halloumi has softened.
⅔ lb halloumi
Season with fresh ground black pepper and mix in the chopped cherry tomatoes, and chopped green spring onion if you are using it.
0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ lb cherry tomatoes, 3 tablespoon chopped green spring onion
Mix in the pasta, a little at a time, together with the pasta water. When everything is mixed in, you are ready to serve.
¾ cups pasta water
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes
Butter and olive oil - use both if you can
Fresh chili - I use red serrano chili for this recipe, and about half of the seeds. To make it more or less spicy, adjust the type of chili you use and/or the amount of seeds.
Asparagus - for the best experience when cooking with asparagus, the end should be removed. See the post for my guide to how to do this.
Substitutions & exclusions
Spaghetti can be switched for another type of pasta.
White wine can be switched for dry sparkling white wine or - if that's all you have - white cooking wine.
Halloumi can be skipped, and it's still a delicious dish. Just add a pinch of salt together with the black pepper.
Shallots can be swapped for red onion (best) or yellow onion.
All of the veggies can be swapped for what you have at home - great additions include bell peppers, broccoli and white asparagus.
Tips & Tricks
Don't add salt - at least not before tasting the finished dish.
Add more butter if needed when frying the mushrooms - you want them to become completely satiated.
Like it creamier? Add some cream!
Make it dairy free and vegan by switching butter for olive oil & excluding halloumi, and adding a pinch of salt.