A Simple Garden Pasta Made From Leftovers and Fresh Harvests

Like many of my favorite meals, this one wasn't planned. It came together because several ingredients needed to be used, including leftover spaghetti from a recent pasta night, a Brandywine tomato from the garden, and a generous harvest of Brazilian spinach that was ready to be picked. I also had fresh bouquet dill growing in my hydroponic garden and a few sweet peppers in the refrigerator that needed a purpose.

I tossed everything together and ended up with a bright, fresh pasta that has quickly become one of my favorite summer lunches.

Lemon Dill Garden Pasta made with garden-grown Brazilian spinach, fresh dill, black beans, and a Brandywine tomato.

One of the things I love most about this recipe is how flexible it is. The exact ingredients will probably change every time I make it. The Brandywine tomato, Brazilian spinach, and dill all came from plants my husband and I have been growing ourselves. The sweet peppers, however, were store-bought leftovers that needed to be used before they spoiled. Since we're currently growing several pepper varieties in the yard, I can easily imagine replacing those store-bought peppers with homegrown ones later in the season.

That's really the beauty of a meal like this. It doesn't require a special shopping list. It simply gives you a way to use what you already have on hand or what's currently growing well in your garden. The vegetables may change from one batch to the next, but I suspect the lemon and dill will remain constant because they do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to creating the bright, fresh flavor of the dish.

One of the biggest contributors this time around was Brazilian spinach, sometimes called Sissoo spinach. It's become one of my favorite edible plants to grow in Florida because it's productive, resilient, and easy to maintain. Earlier this year, our February freeze damaged many of the plants in the yard, and for a while the Brazilian spinach looked like it might not recover. Fortunately, it bounced back beautifully once warmer weather returned.

Now that it's actively growing again, I harvest it regularly and am always looking for new ways to use it in the kitchen. If you don't have access to Brazilian spinach, traditional spinach or other leafy greens work perfectly well in this recipe.

Brazilian spinach (also called Sissoo spinach) growing in our backyard garden.

A serendipitous substitution ended up becoming one of my favorite parts of the recipe. Originally, I planned to use fresh avocado, but the avocados sitting on my counter weren't quite ripe yet. Instead, I added a scoop of prepared guacamole and hoped for the best. To my surprise, it worked beautifully.

Once tossed with lemon juice and a little olive oil, the guacamole created a light, creamy coating that brought everything together without needing a heavy dressing. The finished pasta packs well for lunch, tastes great chilled straight from the refrigerator, and can also be enjoyed warm if that's your preference. On a hot Florida afternoon, though, I think it shines as a cold pasta salad.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is its simplicity. It came together because I had leftovers to use, vegetables ready to harvest, and a few ingredients that needed a purpose. What started as a practical fridge clean-out ended up becoming a meal I'd happily make again, whether the ingredients come from the garden, the grocery store, or a combination of both.

Lemon Dill Garden Pasta Recipe

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2–3 cups cooked spaghetti or pasta of your choice

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

• About 4 cups Brazilian spinach, roughly chopped

• 1 medium Brandywine tomato, diced

• 2–4 small sweet peppers, diced

• 3 large sprigs fresh dill, finely chopped

• 4 tablespoons guacamole

• Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste

• 1–2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl.

2. Add the black beans, chopped Brazilian spinach, diced tomato, diced peppers, and fresh dill.

3. Add the guacamole, lemon juice, and olive oil.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Toss everything together until lightly coated.

6. Taste and adjust the lemon juice, salt, and pepper as desired.

7. Serve immediately or chill before serving.