If you’re about to cook a bowl of pasta, I urge you to reconsider. Traditional pasta noodles contain gluten, a type of protein that can be detrimental to your health. It’s known to interfere with the breakdown and absorption of nutrients in your stomach. Furthermore, undigested gluten causes your immune system to attack the lining of your small intestine, which can lead to diarrhea, constipation, nausea and abdominal pain.

Instead of gorging on wheat-based pasta, try using vegetables for the noodles. Not only is this a healthier approach, but it’s tastier as well. This recipe from Paleohacks uses a mixture of vegetables in a spicy sauce to deliver a warm, flavorful heat that’s sure to get your spirits up and going.

Mixing Various Vegetables Can Create Tasty and Colorful Noodles

While it’s certainly possible to use just one vegetable to make veggie pasta, why stop there? You can diversify your recipe’s flavor and improve the nutritional profile by using several veggies. In particular, this recipe uses four options to great effect.