The Mediterranean Plate: Olive Oil, Vegetables and Pasta

The everyday Mediterranean formula — olive oil, seasonal vegetables and pasta — for lighter, vegetable-forward meals.

The Mediterranean formula

The everyday Mediterranean plate is mostly vegetables, brought to life with olive oil, with pasta in a supporting role. It's lighter than a heaping bowl of noodles but just as satisfying — and it makes vegetables the point of the meal.

What each one brings

• Olive oil — the flavour and the good fat; use it to cook and to finish
• Vegetables — the star, whatever is freshest and in season
• Pasta — the satisfying base, in supporting amounts rather than the whole plate

How to build the plate

Sauté or roast a vegetable in olive oil, cook a smaller portion of pasta, and toss the two together with a final drizzle of oil. Keep the pasta-to-vegetable ratio generous on the vegetable side and the meal stays light.

Vegetable-forward pasta ideas

• Penne with broccoli and garlic
• Pasta with roasted eggplant
• Fusilli with peppers and zucchini
• A warm pasta salad with whatever is in the crisper
• Aglio e olio with a big handful of greens wilted in

Make it Mediterranean

• Lean on herbs, garlic and lemon instead of heavy sauces
• Add olives, capers or a few beans for savoury depth
• Keep meat small or skip it
• Always finish with a little extra olive oil off the heat

Lighter, but still a meal

Olive oil, vegetables and pasta prove that eating lighter doesn't mean eating less well — it just means letting the vegetables lead.