Aglio e Olio with Asparagus, Lemon & Breadcrumbs
Aglio e Olio with Asparagus, Lemon & Breadcrumbs is my favorite simple pasta. Plus, anytime I have an excuse to use bucatini, I’m happy. I am sure that I have mentioned this many times on this blog but I grew up eating Italian food, and I mean like, solely Italian food, for about the first ten years of my life. My mother is an incredible cook… now. Her mom, my most favorite woman to have ever walked this earth, was not an incredible cook. Crappy food… crappy German food. Need I say more?
My other grandmother, though not Italian, was married to my grandpa, Paul. An Italian who told us we were french. Long story. I didn’t find out I was Italian until I was sixteen. I chose French as my second language because that is what I thought I was. Well, now, thanks to Ancestry.com, I am aware that I am actually twenty-two percent Italian and that my family came from southern Italy, specifically, Calabria, Italy. Shockingly, I am French, too. A whopping twelve percent. 😉 All from spitting into a tube and mailing it back. If you haven’t done DNA testing, it’s pretty rad.
Anyway, about fifteen years ago my second cousin gave me a list with the names of my grandpa and his eleven, yes, ELEVEN, other siblings. His name was really Paulo, and his siblings were Gaetano, Carmella, Octtalia, Dominick, Rossina, etc. You get the drift. Super “French” sounding names, right? 😉
My Italian grandpa’s wife, Norma, whom I lived with when she passed; a beautifully talented and artistic soul, learned to make Italian food for her husband. They had lived in Sorrento, Italy for a bit while my grandfather was penning a book that my father tells me was about politics… possibly, in rhyme. I’d love to have a copy of that. My grandma gifted my mother a cookbook with typed out recipes on index cards. And this, friends, is what I was fed for a decade until my mother expanded outwards. Puttanesca and Aglio e Olio defined my childhood. This would also explain my unbreakable love for carbohydrates.
I’ve taken the classic Aglio e Olio and jazzed it up with asparagus, lemon, bread crumbs, capers, and yes, vegan parm. I read that parmesan is not really meant to be part of an Italian dish like this (with heat), but like my life’s mantra always says, “Fuck it.” On that note, have a fabulous vegan Tofurky day! Eat, drink, and be merry. Mangia! Salute!
PS- One of my favorite Louis Prima songs. Popped into my head right away when I was thinking about what song I should add to this post. 🙂
Aglio e Olio with Asparagus, Lemon & Breadcrumbs
Ingredients:
2 cups toasted breadcrumbs – I used Panko
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup vegan parmesan cheese – I used Follow Your Heart (my new fave)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 lb. bucatini pasta
8 cloves (1 bulb) garlic – chopped
1-2 tsp crushed red pepper (depending on your personal heat index)
3 Tbl capers – roughly chopped
1 lemon – juiced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, oregano, and basil – chopped finely. You can use all three as I did or use just one. You could also add thyme or rosemary pending upon your taste.
Directions:
Cook bucatini in salted water – save 1/2 C pasta water
In a steamer set over boiling water, steam asparagus, covered, until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil on low-medium. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, and capers. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the white wine and stir the pan for a minute. Reduce heat to medium-low.
Add asparagus, pasta water, lemon juice, and herbs. Turn off heat. Toss the pasta in until coated – about 1 to 2 minutes. Top with the vegan parmesan and breadcrumbs. I threw some sun-dried tomatoes on the center top of the bowl for my photos.
Wine pairings:
Sparkling brut wine or pinot noir
To contrast the tangy flavor, try a french chardonnay
Creamy Cheesy Pasta (Vegan)
Creamy Cheesy Pasta (Vegan) is a go-to in my household. My kid thinks it’s mac n’ cheese so he scarfs it down AND I trick him into eating veggies. Score!!! For me, I love it because it’s incredibly easy, delicious, and healthy. I get loads of nutrients all at once. Lastly, I can make a huge pot and have lunches for me and the wee man for days. Another score for sure! Especially with my insane schedule and life. Time is incredibly valuable!
This is another recipe I made when I was sick. Honestly, I can’t even sit when I’m on my death bed. I feel like if I truly want to shift gears from teaching (I’m a music teacher) to branding myself via this blog, my books, and my upcoming podcast and vlog, I can’t EVER take a break! However, I fuckin’ love it. 😉
I thought I’d share the journey of my weight loss since I spoke about that in the last food post. Down another 3 in a week! Honestly, I tried to cut carbs out completely for a few weeks but it was hard af. Now, I’m limiting them. I don’t mind having one meal a day in carbs. That, I can handle. In a dish like this where the sauce is incredibly healthy, I feel even less guilty. I just re-tweaked my meds and the insatiable appetite did not come back. Fucking phew! How someone gains 60 lbs in 14 months is totally, completely, bat shit crazy, kinda fucked bs. At this point, since the 14 lbs fell off in 6 weeks and I’m still going down, I’m hoping that I’ll have a svelte bod by June. 😉 I miss my bikinis, cute dresses & jeans etc. We need a reunion – ASAP! The way I’m doing it outside of the med switch (albeit the most important part for sure) is by cutting some carbs, cutting some booze, going to sleep earlier, and getting back on the workout train since I just quit my tap dance class. I’m so fucking eager to be myself again, that moving toward that goal quickly is all of the motivation I need. Could I be doing more? Fuck yeah, but this is what’s working for me. It’s what I can give right now. The last thing I’ll say is this, don’t overdo it so you get tired and quit. It’s SO easy to quit. Start small and add on more workouts, dieting etc as you go so you stay in the groove. Gotta be in it to win it, right?! 😉
Happy Monday! -FGG
Here’s a great tune to liven up your Monday blues. 😉
Creamy Cheesy Pasta (Vegan) – Serves 4
Ingredients-
1/2 C raw cashews – soaked overnight from the day prior – drain them now
12 ounces dry elbow macaroni noodles – cooked
1 1/2 C cooked butternut squash – scoop out of the shell
1/2 C carrot – diced & steamed
1 C coconut milk (I use the full fat milk for a better texture)
1/4 C nutritional yeast
2 tsp Dijon mustard (this may sound like a weird ingredient but trust me, it works and is totally necessary!)
1/2 tsp salt (or more to your liking)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
Pepper to taste
Directions-
Combine sweet potato, carrot, and 1/4 – 1/3 cup of water in a high powered blender (I use my Vitamix) and blend until smooth and creamy
In a bowl, add the cashews to the squash & carrot mix, coconut milk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, nutritional yeast, black pepper (if using), turmeric, garlic powder, and onion powder – blend until completely creamy & smooth
Pour the sauce over the pasta – mix well
Done!
Pair with:
Red – Chianti
White – Riesling
Beer – Pilsner
Creamy Rigatoni with Lentils & Fresh Oregano – Vegan!
Creamy Rigatoni with Lentils & Fresh Oregano – Vegan! was so freakin’ good that my kiddo housed it like a drunken frat boy chowing down on pizza after a wild night out. 😉 … Yeah, so that statement just produced a litany of SUNY New Paltz memories racing through my brain. Ahh… the good ole days. When livers were strong, friends were family, stoners still laughed when they got high, cigarettes were cheap, the walk of shame was lived by all – every weekend, and life was… well… fucking great! THAT’s how unbelievably awesome this pasta dish is.
This Creamy Rigatoni with Lentils & Fresh Oregano – Vegan! is made with a cashew and pesto based sauce. It’s loaded with vitamins, omega 3, iron, and all things good for your mind, body, soul, and of course, your tastebuds. 😉 This dish talks the talk and walks the walk. I have a load of oregano and basil pumpin’ in my garden. I dried the oregano the night before to use for this meal. I had to stop myself from over-carbing, as usual.
Since I hadn’t written a post in ages until my previous gyoza post, I totally forgot to do my new thanggg. Music! I’m super into adding some good tunes to every post. I always cook with music. If you have my e-cookbook, you’ll know that each recipe has a link to a song that accompanies that specific dish. Enjoy the dope tunes and grub! Mangia!
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta - cooked
- 1 C cooked lentils (I used 1/2 a pack of Trader Joe's Steamed Lentils)
- 1/4 C fresh oregano that has been dried - this will taste very different than dried oregano in a store
- 1 1/2 C basil leaves - loosely packed
- 1 & 1/2 C cashews - raw & unsalted
- 1/2 of a large red onion - diced
- 3 Tbs nutritional yeast
- 3 Tbs ground flax seed (I add this solely for health purposes - omegas!)
- 2 cloves garlic - chopped
- 1/4 C pine nuts
- 1/2 of a lemon - squeezed
- 1 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base
- 1 - 2 C unsweetened almond milk or soy milk (depends on how thick you want your sauce)
- 2 Tbl olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Heat pan on medium with olive oil
- Add onion and salt - cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes
- Add garlic and cashews - cook, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes more
- In a high powered blender (I used my Vitamix), blend all of the ingredients, except the lentils and oregano, together until smooth and creamy - adjust salt, pepper, and milk as necessary
- Pour sauce over warm rigatoni and sprinkle with oregano
- Done!
- White - oaked chardonnay, soave, chablis
- Red - teroldego, pinot noir
Creamy Avocado Sauce over Black Bean Pasta
Creamy Avocado Sauce over Black Bean Pasta is the combination the world has been waiting for. Two soulmates who have finally found one another. A duo so perfectly paired there can never be another. Intrigued? Then this is the dish you MUST try this week! Seriously, SO tasty, healthy and easy! Also, it only takes a mere 10 minutes to chef up. What’s better than that? I literally feel like there are not enough minutes in my day for all that I do and try to get done. Ten minute meals are a slice of heaven for this busy soul of mine. Plus, my kiddo scarfs this shit down, aaand I hide spinach and white beans in the sauce – so that’s two for the win – Bam! I had mine with a margarita… naturally.
I’m obsessed with avocados. I eat 1/2 an avo/day. I blended spinach and small white beans plus a few more ingredients for this delicious Creamy Avocado Sauce. When I looked in my pantry and saw the black bean rotini it was a duh moment. Obviously, anything black bean is totally perfect with anything avocado. Thus began the sexiest pasta affair that man has ever known. You could swim in this sauce, bathe in this sauce, drink this sauce, and have a creamy avocado ‘mud fight’ in this sauce.
Remember, I have Heyoya now! Leave a voice comment instead of a written comment! Enjoy saucin’ yourself up! -FGG
- 12 oz black bean pasta (I used Trader's Black Bean Rotini)
- 1 large ripe avocado
- 1 C fresh cilantro
- 2 C baby spinach - loosely packed
- 1 Tbl lemon or lime juice
- 2 Tbl olive oil (you can substitute for water if you'd like)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3/4 C small white beans
- 1 Tbl taco seasoning
- Salt to taste
- While the pasta is cooking, put all of the other ingredients in a high-powered blender (I used my Vitamix) or processor and blend until completely smooth
- When pasta is done, pour sauce on top and serve immediately. Black bean pasta does not typically save well. If you want leftovers, use a different pasta.
- Beer - Pale Ales
- Wine - Sauvignon Blanc
Spaghetti Marinara with Chard & Burst Tomatoes
Spaghetti Marinara with Chard & Burst Tomatoes is loaded with veggies and incredibly healthy. I had left over vegetables in my fridge (as usual) that I didn’t want to go bad so I loaded what I had into this sauce and it was totally amazing! I am not a lover of anything bland so I am always guaranteeing a ton of flavor in my recipes! This one is no exception. I literally ate the entire pot of pasta in 2 days. Perhaps this is yet another reason why I am on a no carbs for the month of May (insert the saddest emoji ever right here) diet now. I’ve had a massive affair with carbohydrates over the past year and like most affairs, it’s completely blown up in my face, and then it trickled down to my thighs and some. Now that the weather is warm, I am missing my wardrobe, another thing that this “affair” took from me. Sigh, sigh, sigh… However, if you’re NOT reeling from a breakup with pastas and the like, than this is a fabulous Italian spaghetti dish that I highly recommend you eat… for me, if not for yourself. I can try and live vicariously I suppose. I’m gonna keep this short today, as I am short of time. Live, eat, (diet), be happy! 😉 XO
As per usual, my listening suggestion for you whilst you chef up this dope dish! MWAH!:
- 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
- 24 oz jar of marinara sauce (I use Mezzetta)
- 2 Tbl olive oil
- 1 shallot - diced
- 3 cloves of garlic - diced
- 1 C cherry tomatoes
- 2 C chard
- 1 1/2 C sliced red and yellow (or just one or the other) sweet small peppers
- 3/4 C cannellini beans
- 1/2 C fresh basil - chopped
- 1 tsp fresh oregano - chopped (optional)
- 2 tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Nutritional yeast to taste for serving (optional)
- Start boiling the pasta (I like to cook it al dente)
- While pasta is cooking, heat a pan on medium with olive oil
- Add shallot and stir often for 3 minutes
- Add garlic and stir often for 2 minutes more
- Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt - stir occasionally and cook for 5 minutes
- Add beans, peppers, oregano, basil, salt & pepper - stir for approximately 3 more minutes
- Add marinara sauce, chard, red pepper flakes, plus any additional salt & pepper and stir for about 5 minutes more
- Pour sauce over pasta and serve with nutritional yeast (optional)
- White - Pinot Grigio or Verdicchio
- Red - Montepulciano d’Abruzzo or Chianti
Vegan Kale Pesto Spring Primavera!
Vegan Kale Pesto Spring Primavera! will be your next favorite spring pasta dish! Crazy colorful, flavorful, and incredibly healthy… not to mention quick and easy to make. This is one of those meals where I sometimes say, “if you could purchase it in a store and didn’t absolutely love it, I’d give you a refund in full.” Dem be powerful words, pasta lovers! A rainbow of deliciousness awaits you. I found this rainbow array of veggies in my fridge left over from my Organics to You delivery and had to use them before they went bad. I had also purchased Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale, Cashew, and Basil Pesto. However, if you don’t wanna go out and spend too much dinero on that bad boy, I have an AMAZING recipe on my blog for a pesto just like Trader Joe’s – in the search box, type – crazy creamy pesto (not sure why my hyperlink wasn’t working).
On this fine and fabulous afternoon, I went nuts-o cooking dishes for the week and for the blog. Breakfast toasts, red pepper hummus, a spaghetti marinara with peppers and chard (recipe coming soon), and of course, the one and only Vegan Kale Pesto Spring Primavera! I was a cooking machine. It was sunny, I had the door and windows wide open, and I listened to some My Bubba. If you don’t know these super hot, folk-esk, Scandinavian duo, get to know their music asap. They’re freakin’ amazing! So amazing, that I feel the need to add one of their recording sessions from a totally dope hostel in Iceland to this very post. You’re welcome. 😉 To sum this short post up (well, for me, haha), if you like incredible pasta and fantastic tunes, I implore you to make this recipe asap whilst listening to these superb ladies serenade you. Mangia!
PS- There’s a gigantic gap b/w my last photo and the video and recipe card. I can’t fix it! UGH! WordPress woes… 🙁
- 1 lb fusilli pasta (I used Trader Joe's Brown Rice Pasta Fusilli) - cooked
- 8 oz of kale pesto (I have a recipe on the blog for this but I used TJ's Vegan Kale, Cashew, and Basil Pesto)
- 1 1/2 C purple broccoli florets
- 3/4 C broccolini or something similar - diced
- 3/4 C small red cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 C carrot - diced
- 3/4 -1 C thin aspargus - cut into approximately 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 of a lemon
- 6 large basil leaves (or the equivalent) - chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Olive oil for pan
- Heat a large pan with olive oil over medium heat
- Add the carrots and asparagus stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes
- Add the purple broccoli, broccolini, tomatoes, salt & pepper, and squeeze the lemon on top of the veggies - stir occasionally for about 5 minutes
- Add the basil and stir for approximately 2-3 minutes more
- Your veggies should be crisp but cooked - don't over cook
- Remove from heat
- Pour pesto over your pasta and mix well
- Pour the veggie mix from the pan over the pesto pasta and still well
- Done!
- Sauvignon Blanc, dry riesling, or Fiano di Avellino
Creamy Vegan Pasta with Shiitakes and Veggies!
Creamy Vegan Pasta with Shiitakes and Veggies! is flavor packed, nutrition packed, and simply: CRAZY DELICIOUS! Like I’ve said a million times before; I’m a total carb-a-holic so pasta scratches that itch hard core for me. Not to mention, anything crazy creamy is just icing on my carb-cake. I had no intention of blogging this recipe until I made it and it tasted like a creamy cloud of shiitake heaven in my mouth. So, the next afternoon I took some pics in crap lighting, but still needed to share this gem with all y’all. In my Organic to You delivery last week (see previous post) I received these tiny and scrumptious looking shiitakes. Mushrooms are my all time fave! Outside of missing traveling the world, the other thing I really miss about living in Beijing is the abundance of super cheap and plentiful mushrooms. I had such a wide variety to pick from that virtually every meal I made had some type of shroom in it. Ahhh… the expat days… I digress (I know, shocking, right?!), I used this vegan cashew-based alfredo sauce that I had purchased at Whole Foods and was curious to taste. In a sauce pan I cooked shiitakes, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in onions, garlic, olive oil, and fresh oregano, with a pinch of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Broth, nooch (nutritional yeast), a pinch of ground flax, and then combined that with the alfredo sauce. Feel free to use any vegan alfredo sauce, however, being that this didn’t actually taste like an alfredo sauce per se, but a lighter and very tasty creamy sauce, I believe it made up a good part of the flavor palate in this dish. If you don’t want to use it, I have a recipe right here for a homemade alfredo sauce. For the pasta, I used Barilla Veggie Rotini and smothered that creamy and delicious sauce all over the pasta, and then drooled all over my bowl. After basking in my pasta glow of pure heaven, albeit, one bowl too many, I knew I had to share this Creamy Vegan Pasta with Shiitakes and Veggies! with the world. Mangia! -FGG
- 1 box of Barilla Veggie Rotini Pasta (12 oz) OR equivalent
- 3/4 - entire jar of Victoria Vegan Alfredo Sauce (start with 3/4 of the jar and add more after the pasta is and sauce have been mixed together if you'd still like it creamier - I used 3/4 of the jar)
- 1 Tbl nutritional yeast
- 1/2 Tbl ground flax seed
- 1/2 tsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Broth (it's a paste) OR equivalent
- 1 1/2 C shiitake mushrooms - de-stemmed
- 2 C baby spinach
- 1/3 C sun-dried tomatoes in oil and herbs - julienned (I used Trader Joe's)
- 1/2 a white onion - diced
- 3 large cloves of garlic - chopped
- 3 Tbl fresh oregano - chopped
- Olive oil for pan
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Boil and cook pasta
- On another burner, in a saucepan heat oil on low-medium or medium depending on your stovetop
- Add onions and a pinch of salt - stir occasionally for about 3 minutes
- Add garlic and stir occasionally for about 1 minute more
- Add shiitakes, oregano, and pepper - stir occasionally for about 3 minutes
- Add sun-dried tomatoes - stir occasionally for about 2 minutes
- Add spinach, flax, and nutritional yeast- stir occasionally for about 3-5 minutes
- Remove from heat
- Put the cooked rotini in the pot over low heat and add the contents from the sauce pan and the alfredo sauce - mix well
- If you would like to add more salt & pepper, do so now
- When fully mixed and warm, remove from heat and serve instantly
- Done!
- This serves 4-6 bowls depending on what size bowl you serve
- Red- Tempranillo from Rioja
- White- Un-oaked Chardonnay
Crazy Creamy Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo!
Crazy Creamy Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo! Totally satisfies my creamy pasta cravings. I’ve read so many recipes about how to make a vegan version of fettuccine alfredo but wasn’t loving the seemingly bland ingredient lists in these sauces. This recipe is somewhat plant-based, but also uses heavier ingredients like a true alfredo sauce would. This is how I finallllly came to create an actual delicious version of vegan fettuccine alfredo! Amen.
My mother used to make an AMAZING alfredo sauce in which she accurately called, “a heart attack on a plate.” So true, but too delicious to care; especially, when I was young and fabulously fit… ahhh… sigh… the good ‘ol days. I ate the shit outta her alfredo and definitely was devouring (very ungracefully might I add) more than a single serving of pasta. I’m now officially salivating on my keyboard. Side note: When I was younger, my mother told me never to eat pasta on a date. Another accurate statement from the madre. If you’ve ever seen me eat pasta, you’d understand. 😉
This recipe blends together cauliflower, cashews, vegan butter and cream cheese, and some. You definitely won’t be disappointed! If you’ve been underwhelmed before by bland alfredo sauces, I definitely encourage you to try this ‘Crazy Creamy Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo!’ recipe, as it is anything but bland! Mangia! -FGG
- 1 lb fettuccine noodles (I used whole wheat)
- 3 Tbl diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves of garlic - chopped
- 1/2 C cauliflower florets
- 1/4 C unsalted cashews
- 3 Tbl olive oil
- 1 - 1 1/2 C unsweetened soy or almond milk (I prefer soy for this recipe)
- 1 C vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon)
- 3 Tbl vegan cream cheese (I use Tofutti)
- 3 Tbl vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
- 2/3 C vegan parmesan cheese (you can buy this OR make your own with nooch, garlic powder, salt, and a nut like almond or cashew)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- Optional: Fresh herb for garnish (parsley and basil are common, however, I used chives because they were still in my garden)!
- In a pot, boil water and cook your fettuccine
- In a separate pan, heat to low and add olive oil
- Add onions, a pinch of salt, and stir occasionally for about 4 minutes
- Add garlic and stir occasionally for about 1 more minute
- Turn pan up to medium. Add butter, veggie broth, milk, garlic & onion powder, cashews, and cauliflower, plus any salt and pepper you'd like - stir occasionally until cauliflower is softened (about 10 minutes)
- In a blender (I use my Vitamix), add all of the ingredients from the pan, and blend until perfectly smooth and creamy
- Return mixture to pan on low- medium/low, and add cream cheese and parmesan. Stir occasionally for about 5 minutes (make sure the cream cheese and parmesan has fully blended in), remove from heat and pour over drained pasta
- Serve with garnish
- Feel free to add peas or sun-dried tomatoes to this recipe! I often use both.
- Red- Barolo or Barbera
- White- Roussanne
Vegan Pumpkin Mac n’ Cheese
Vegan Pumpkin Mac n’ Cheese is creamy, easy, delicious, and healthy. You’ll fool all non-vegans for sure! I brought this to a friend’s Thanksgiving this past weekend and almost everyone said, “you’d have no idea there wasn’t any cheese in here.” Just another carb to add to your Thanksgiving day menu! This is a vegan game changer… no doubt.
A couple of my sibs are flying in for my vegan T-day. We have gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan amongst us. I am making this Vegan Pumpkin Mac n’ Cheese (with gluten-free pasta), a vegan meatloaf, Tofurkey roast, stuffing with ‘sausage’ (homemade of course), mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, spinach salad with candied pecans, and an apple pie & pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving. I’m serving a vegan spinach and artichoke dip, some sort of hummus, and a vegan sour cream & onion dip for appetizers. They’ll be LOADS of wine and bubbly throughout the day and well into the evening. If any of us make it up the stairs for bed I will die in utter amazement! I’m carbin’ everyone the ‘f’ up and steering us into booze-ville. If we end the night with garage games I’ll be pleasantly surprised; though I won’t be holding my breath.
I didn’t anticipate shooting this pasta so these are all of the pics I have. I brought this Vegan Pumpkin Mac n’ Cheese, fresh flowers and herbs from my garden, and a bottle of pomegranate mimosas with pom seeds to my friend’s house. She hosted an awesome soiree and it was SO great to see her, as I’ve not seen her since I moved back to OR last year. Thanks for the hospitality, Bethany! 🙂
- 16 oz pasta (I used cellentani)
- 1/3 cup raw and unsalted cashews
- 1 small butternut squash - steamed and de-shelled
- 3 Tbl nutritional yeast
- 1/2 a 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp of thyme
- 1 veggie broth cube (I used the equivalent with Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Broth)
- 1 small onion - diced
- 2 cloves of garlic - diced
- Oil for pan
- Boil water for pasta and cook when ready
- Heat a pan and cook onions for 3 minutes
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes ( like mine slightly browned)
- In a high powered blender (I use my Vitamix) add the onion/garlic mix and all other ingredients other than the pasta
- Blend until smooth
- Poor contents of the blender over the drained pasta and mix well (add water if needed)
- Done!
- Amazing dish for Thanksgiving! Also, I LOVE a good hot sauce on any mac n' cheese. If we are sympatico, go nuts!
- White wine: Chardonnay
- Red wine: Barbera
Creamy & Cheesy Pasta Bake (Vegan)
Creamy & Cheesy Pasta Bake (Vegan) is crazy delicious and easy! Yesterday, I was by myself for about 2 hours, a total rarity in life, and decided to take advantage of this randomly awesome moment and shoot some amazing eats! I drank red wine and danced around the kitchen listening to Billie Holiday. I truly did this. And, it felt sublimely amazing. “You Go to My Head” is one of my all time favorite tunes. I put it on repeat. 😉 I need more of these moments in life for sure! Not to say I don’t love my little guy to the freakin’ moon, but mama needs a break sometimes, too. Some me time. So, yesterday was suh-weet!
This recipe uses an arrabiata sauce (homemade recipe coming soon), and creamy vegan cheese sauce. You can buy a creamy vegan cheese OR you can make it yourself. If you’re looking for a recipe, I used mine from my Creamy Vegan Mac n’ Cheese recipe. I used Lisanatti Almond Mozzarella Cheese and shredded it for the top of the pasta bake. This is a simple but incredibly flavorful recipe!
Side Note: Upon reheating, I put the pasta in a sauce pan on medium, added a Tbl of Tofutti Cream Cheese, dash of garlic powder, flick of the wrist of olive oil, and crisped that baby up! A pasta that actually tasted just as good, if not better, reheated! One for the win! Mangia, my friends. 😉
- 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
- Approximately 24 oz arrabiata sauce (can sub out for marinara) - a garlicky option is best
- Approximately 24 oz creamy vegan cheese (I used my recipe from my vegan mac n' cheese)
- Approximately 1 C shredded vegan mozzarella (I used Lisanatti)
- Fresh basil to taste (chopped) and for garnish
- Boil pasta and preheat oven to 350f
- On the bottom of an oven safe pan, smear both sauces and add spaghetti
- Top spaghetti with both sauces
- Continue this pattern until pasta has run out
- Top the pasta with more sauce, shredded vegan mozzarella, and fresh chopped basil
- Cover pasta with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Remove foil for the last 5 minutes
- Enjoy!
- Sangiovese
