Perfect Pasta At Home

ONE OF MY MOST REQUESTED RECIPES IS FINALLY HERE!

I LOVE PASTA (1) BECAUSE IT’S DELICIOUS AND (2) IT’S REALLY ADAPTABLE FOR WHATEVER I HAVE ON HAND. IF YOU’VE READ MY BLOG POST ON HOW I KEEP MY PANTRY STOCKED YOU KNOW THAT I ALWAYS HAVE PASTA SAUCE, TOMATO PASTE, AND DRIED PASTA ON HAND BECAUSE PASTA NIGHT IS FREQUENT IN MY HOUSE.

In this post, I’m going to share my go-to pasta recipe and give you some tips to make it perfect every time. When creating the perfect pasta combinations, it is important to keep in mind your vegetable intake. Add a variety of vegetables with various textures. When creating pasta dishes, it's important to keep two things in mind, your oil consumption and vegetable intake. You can never add too many vegetables, but you can add much oil unintentionally so read your sauce labels. When buying premade pasta sauces be sure to read the ingredients. You want to strive for as few ingredients as possible. Pasta also holds up great in the refrigerator, which makes it a great meal for lunch or meal prep. 

My favorite pasta combinations - 

Brown rice spaghetti noodles with broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, onions with chunky marinara

Chickpea penne noodles with spinach, peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, vegan cheese, and vegan pesto. 

Brown rice rigatoni with spinach, broccoli, olives, onion, mushrooms, and meatless crumbles. 

This blog post is sponsored by Pure Farmland which is a band that produces great plant-based protein alternatives which are great for pasta. When I started transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle I used meat alternatives to keep me satisfied and help with some familiarity of textures in my meals. If you’re looking for a more wholesome alternative to meat in pasta try lentils or walnuts. 

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Veggie & "Meat" Sauce Pasta

Yield: 2-3 Servings

Author: Plant Based Bre

Prep time: 7 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 22 Min

Ingredients

• 8oz box of pasta
• Preferred store-bought sauce
• 1 c Meatless crumbles
• 3 oz tomato paste, roughly half a 6oz can
• Roughly 1/4 C of pasta water to thin sauce
• 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 white onion (med), diced
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• Fresh basil, diced (roughly 2 TBSP)
• Fresh parsley, diced (roughly 1 TBSP)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp No salt seasoning blend
• 1 tsp Coconut palm sugar
• Black pepper and Pink Salt to taste

Vegetable Options/Add Ins

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Kale (frozen/fresh) 
• Zucchini
• Artichokes
• Sundried Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Olives
• Capers

Instructions

1. I add a ton of veggies (artichokes, spinach, broccoli, etc) too but that’s optional.
2. In a pot sauté garlic, onions, and other veggies (such as broccoli or cauliflower) with olive oil for 3-5 minutes.
3. Next add tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings (maybe a splash of pasta water too) cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Last add in meatless crumbles and frozen veggies for roughly 8 minutes.
5. Add in cooked pasta and 1/4 C pasta water, combine well.
6. Top with red pepper flakes and parsley. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes:

You can sub any meatless alternative for meatless crumbles.

The sauce tastes great with dairy-free mozzarella.