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Healthy Vegetable Main Dish Recipes

Find healthy, delicious vegetable main dish recipes including vegetable pasta, stir fry, stew and soup. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Zucchini Noodle "Pasta" Salad

Thai Tofu & Vegetable Curry with Zucchini Noodles

Butternut Squash Alfredo with Chicken & Spinach

Shrimp Scampi Zoodles

Healthy Recipes with Vegetable Noodles

Put down that box of pasta and try vegetable noodles instead. With a spiralizer or vegetable peeler, you can create ribbons or strands of nutrient-packed veggies that are lower in calories than pasta. Firm vegetables hold their shape best. Try carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, turnips, summer and winter squash in these delicious recipes. Eating more vegetables is just a twirl away.

Falafel Waffles with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce

Get your falafel fix with this fun, healthy twist on classic falafel. We use a waffle maker to crisp up chickpeas with lemon and herbs. A tangy sauce, made with zippy za'atar and served on the side, adds a creamy note.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

We took the best parts of chicken Parmesan--ooey-gooey cheese, crispy breadcrumbs and plenty of tomato sauce--and spun them into an easy family-friendly casserole. We simplified it by skipping the breading on the chicken and, instead, loaded the top of the casserole with cheese and breadcrumbs. Serve with a crisp green salad to complete the meal.

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Broccoli, Beef & Tater Tot Hotdish

Hotdish may be a Minnesota tradition but everyone, everywhere, should add this cheesy casserole to their fall dinner rotation.

Clam Pizza Fra Diavolo

This recipe unites two East Coast favorites: white clam pizza from New Haven and the spicy fra diavolo sauce made famous in New York. Jarred Calabrian peppers heat it up and two-ingredient pizza dough makes it easy.

Veggie Sausage English Muffin

Keep several of these simple vegetarian sausage sandwiches in your freezer so you always have a healthy breakfast ready to go. To keep it simple, we use roasted peppers from a jar instead of roasting them at home.

Sausage-Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Make as many of these healthy breakfast bowls as you can fit in your freezer to always have a morning meal on hand. Just heat and eat for an instant breakfast packed with whole grains, veggies and protein.

Fish Nuggets with Seasoned Sweet Potato Wedges

Frozen fish sticks get a makeover with this recipe for oven-baked fish nuggets. To give them that irresistible deep-fried crunch, we rely on panko breadcrumbs with their lighter, flakier texture.

Terra-Cotta Stewed Chicken

This is an adaptation of kedjenou, a dish usually made in a canari, or terra-cotta pot. It is sealed with a banana leaf, placed in the ashes of a fire and left to cook into a succulent stew.

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Black Bass Packets in Curry-Coconut Broth

Tender blanched Savoy cabbage leaves make a wrapper for the bass and julienned vegetables. The packet traps the steam inside to keep the fish moist while it cooks and makes for a stunning presentation when nestled into the broth.

Zucchini Noodle Pie

If you're familiar with Italian spaghetti pie, you'll love this better-for-you gluten-free update to the classic comforting casserole. Replacing the traditional spaghetti with zucchini noodles keeps the meal from weighing you down, but it's still as cheesy and saucy as ever.

Tomato & Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This recipe is a lighter spin on the typical cheese-stuffed chicken breast, featuring feta, tomato and Greek-inspired flavors. Look for similarly sized chicken breasts so they'll cook at the same rate. Roast some potatoes while the chicken is in the oven to serve as a side dish.

Creamy Spinach Pasta with White Beans

Here, we whir up fresh spinach and kale with cream cheese and Gruyère for the luscious sauce that highlights this rich pasta dish. Paired with beans, it makes a filling vegetarian meal.

Empanadas with Chorizo & Potato

A staple in South American cuisine, homemade empanadas can be served as a main dish or a side. We keep this simple by focusing on the empanada filling and instead of making the dough from scratch, we achieve flaky empanadas with the help of refrigerated pie crust.

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Chicken Tamale Casserole

In this Tex-Mex casserole inspired by chicken tamales, a saucy chicken filling with a soft polenta or grits topping is baked in a casserole dish. While it can't take the place of true tamales, it certainly makes for an easy and scrumptious weeknight dinner.

Caprese-Stuffed Eggplant

We took all the elements of a classic caprese--tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinegar--and stuffed them inside a fresh-baked eggplant. The result is a perfect vegetarian, late-summer dinner everyone will enjoy.

Sheet-Pan Baked Parmesan Chicken with Asparagus & Potatoes

This one-pan dinner combines savory Parmesan cheese and panko-coated chicken breast with asparagus and potatoes tossed with spices to create an easy meal the whole family will love.

Sheet-Pan Balsamic-Parmesan Chicken & Vegetables

This flavorful dish--with the combination of balsamic vinegar and Parmesan cheese--makes a great weeknight meal since it requires little legwork (and only one pan!). The marjoram adds a distinct earthy aroma. If you don't have marjoram in your spice arsenal, you can use dried oregano instead. Both have a woodsy flavor that complements the dish beautifully.

One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan

This hearty pasta dish with bright, fresh flavor is ideal for busy weeknights. The Parmesan adds welcome saltiness and notes of umami and you get added texture from the slight crunch of broccoli and whole-wheat noodles. Add some shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp or crispy chickpeas to punch up the protein.

Parmesan Eggplant Pasta

This lightened-up version of the classic eggplant pasta dish swaps out some of the cheese and uses protein-rich lentil pasta.

Red Beans & Rice with Vegetables

This dish is inspired by the traditional New Orleans dish of red beans and rice, but adds plenty of roasted vegetables.