By Two weeks until junior year and I was in my most focused pre-school preparation mode yet. New materials organized. The SAT scheduled for October. A reading list for AP US History that I had started in June and was most of the way through. Three AP courses and two honors courses, the full schedule for junior year, and I had researched every teacher and spoken to every upperclassman I knew about what each class required.
I had a meeting with Ms. Whitaker via video call to talk about the writing portfolio track I was on and what the coming year would require for the college application process. She asked if I had thought about major and school. I said I was looking at environmental science programs with strong food systems research components. She asked about reach schools. I said LSU was possible and that I was also looking at Tulane, Xavier, and one or two out of state schools including Spelman in Atlanta, which had programs aligned with what I was building toward. She said Spelman was an excellent choice and that my profile was competitive for all of them. I wrote down the names and put them in a folder I had started labeling "what comes next."
That weekend I went to MawMaw Shirley's on Saturday and spent the morning cooking with her — no occasion, just being there, the way I had been doing since I was small enough to stand on a step stool to reach the counter. She was making her summer vegetable fritters: zucchini and corn and green onion in a batter with cayenne and cheddar, fried in a pan until golden. She let me handle the whole thing independently and watched from her chair at the table. When they came out right she said, "I taught you those years ago and you still have them." I said they were in my hands. She said, "That's where the best things live."
MawMaw Shirley’s fritters reminded me that the best cooking isn’t about the occasion — it’s about showing up and trusting what your hands already know. After a morning like that, full of her voice and the smell of something golden coming out of the pan, I wanted to carry that same easy confidence into the rest of the week. This pasta with veggies is the kind of recipe that does exactly that: summer vegetables, simple ingredients, nothing to prove — just the good, grounded feeling of cooking something real.
Pasta with Veggies
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 12 oz penne or rotini pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, torn
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining. Drain and set aside.
- Saute the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until just tender and lightly golden at the edges.
- Add garlic and corn. Add the minced garlic and corn to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes more, stirring frequently, until garlic is fragrant and corn is warmed through.
- Add tomatoes and season. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes until tomatoes just begin to soften.
- Combine with pasta. Add the drained pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the mixture is saucy and well coated.
- Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and half the Parmesan. Divide among bowls and top with remaining Parmesan and torn fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 68g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 340mg