Creamy DASH-Friendly Pasta with Soy Beans, Veggies & Nutritional Yeast

 

This pasta has quickly become one of my favorite easy heart-friendly weekday meals. It’s budget-friendly, full of fiber from wholegrain pasta and soy beans, and it gets a lovely creamy finish thanks to a little nutritional yeast — a perfect trick when you want that cheesy feeling without adding salty cheese.

You don’t need any fancy ingredients, and most of the things can come straight from your pantry or freezer. Perfect for gentle health cooking with very little effort.

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🍝 Ingredients

For 1–2 servings

• Wholegrain pasta

• A handful of soy beans (I cooked them together with the pasta — easy!)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 small onion or a piece of leek (optional but gives sweetness)

• 1 garlic clove, chopped

• 1 cup crushed tomatoes

• 1–2 handfuls frozen mixed wok vegetables

• ½ can white beans or chickpeas (optional extra protein & fiber)

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

• Fresh or dried basil / oregano

• Black pepper

• Small splash of pasta cooking water (makes it silky and saucy)

Optional creamy finish:

• 1 tbsp plain yogurt or ricotta/cottage cheese added after cooking (low-sodium and very DASH-friendly)

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🍳 How to Make

1. Cook the pasta and soy beans together in the same pot. Save a little of the cooking water before draining.

2. In a pan, sauté onion/leek and garlic gently in olive oil.

3. Add the crushed tomatoes and let simmer for a few minutes to thicken naturally.

4. Stir in the mixed wok vegetables (frozen is perfect!) and let them soften in the sauce.

5. Add nutritional yeast and a splash of pasta water — the starch makes the sauce cling to the pasta beautifully.

6. Season with basil, oregano, and black pepper. Taste — you probably won’t need extra salt thanks to the nutritional yeast.

7. Mix in the pasta and soy beans, and toss everything together until glossy and coated.

Optional: Remove from heat and stir in a spoonful of yogurt or ricotta for extra creaminess — a great low-sodium alternative to cheese.

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💚 DASH-Friendly Notes

• Wholegrain pasta + soy beans give long-lasting energy and keep blood sugar stable.

• Nutritional yeast adds umami without the sodium of cheese.

• Frozen vegetables make this a fast, no-excuse healthy meal.

• Cooking water + nutritional yeast = creamy sauce feeling without dairy and with almost no salt.