Pasta is a go-to favorite in our house. It’s always in the pantry, can be easy or more involved and the flavor possibilities are endless.
With whole wheat, gluten-free and veggie pasta varieties, it has become healthier. And as a family who doesn’t eat meat, it’s a great way to occasionally use a plant-based meat substitute. Many of today’s plant-based meat substitutes offer taste, texture and appearance that are very similar to real meat. Using plant-based in these recipes is an easy way to cut back on your meat consumption.
Studies show that eating less meat is better for your health, better for the environment and better for animal welfare. You can use the real deal in these recipes, but why not give plant-based a try?
A seasonal change from the usual tomato-based sauce is perfect for this time of year. The walnut rosemary mixture sprinkled on top gives it a nice crunch.
Walnut rosemary crunch
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange chopped walnuts on a small sheet pan and toast in the oven for eight to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from the oven and toss with rosemary, butter, sugar, salt, and pepper. Set aside to cool.
Pasta
2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound rigatoni or ziti
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. While the pasta cooks, heat the butter in a Dutch oven over low heat. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant. Add the pumpkin and broth, simmer until smooth. Add the cream and salt; simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Add cooked pasta to the sauce. Serve pasta in shallow bowls with a sprinkle of the walnut crunch on top.
When you need a fast, easy meal, this recipe is perfect — pasta and veggie in one bowl. To make it even quicker on a busy night, cut up the broccoli ahead of time so it’s ready to go.
12 oz. pasta such as ziti or rotini
6 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, no stems (about one large head)
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided use
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When water boils, add pasta and broccoli at the same time and cook according to pasta instructions for al dente. When pasta is done cooking, reserve about one cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and broccoli.
Return the pot to the stove and set heat to high. Add one tablespoon olive oil, when hot, add garlic. Cook until golden but not brown. Reduce flame to low and add pasta back to the pot. Mix well, add remaining olive oil, grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste, mixing well and smashing any large pieces of broccoli to break up.
Add a half-cup of reserved pasta water and mix well, adding more if needed. Serve in pasta bowls with additional grated cheese on the side.
Something hearty and spicy to warm up a cool fall evening.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes
24 oz. marinara sauce
1/2 cup pitted olives (kalamata, green, Greek or a mix)
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
16 oz. pasta of choice
Fresh Parmesan, grated
In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, sauté onion, garlic and eggplant until tender, about eight to 10 minutes. Add sauce, olives, capers, red pepper flakes. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Sauce is ready when eggplant is fully tender.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Serve eggplant sauce over pasta with a light dusting of Parmesan over top.
Pairs well with a slice of crusty bread.
I bet you’ve caramelized onions, but have you caramelized apples? Here, diced onions and apples are cooked in butter until they transform into a deeply golden, sticky sauce you’ll want to eat straight from the pot. I like to use sweet-tart apples to give the pasta an acidic bite that brightens it up.
4 medium yellow onions (about 1 3/4 pounds total), diced
2 medium Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples (about 1 pound total), finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 ounces uncooked sweet or spicy Italian bulk sausage substitute such as Field Roast
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dried orecchiette, rigatoni, or farfalle
1 cup dry white wine
Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until well-browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a bowl.
Add the butter to the pot. When melted, add the onions, apples, thyme, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring often to prevent the bottom from burning, until the onions are dark brown, and the apples are very soft, 25 to 30 minutes.
If the bottom of the pot starts to burn before the onions have fully caramelized, add two tablespoons of water to the pot, stir to help dissolve any burnt bits and continue cooking. (Feel free to do this several times during cooking.)
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook two minutes less than al dente, about eight minutes or according to package instructions. Reserve one cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside. When the onions are ready, add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, one minute.
Add one cup dry white wine, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot and cook until the wine is completely evaporated, four to seven minutes. Add the pasta and half-cup of the reserved pasta water. Cook until the water is completely absorbed by the pasta, one to three minutes. The pasta should look very glossy and saucy. If it looks dry, add more pasta water a tablespoon at a time as needed (you might not use all the remaining pasta water).
Remove the pot from the heat. Return the cooked sausage and any accumulated juices, half the parsley and half the Parmesan to the pot and stir to combine. Serve immediately, garnishing each portion with the remaining parsley and Parmesan.
1 pound veggie or soy crumbles or bulk plant-based meat substitute such as Impossible Burger
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach
24 ounces marinara sauce
3 to 4 cups broth
1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
3 to 4 cups broken lasagna noodles
Shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
Ricotta cheese
Chopped fresh basil (optional)
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté crumbles or meat in olive oil following directions on package. Add onion, carrot, garlic and spinach and sauté for five minutes. Add another drizzle of olive oil if necessary. Add marinara sauce, broth, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and bay leaf.
Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Bring mixture to a boil, add pasta and cook uncovered until pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently so that the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Add water as needed, as the pasta will absorb some of the liquid. Discard the bay leaf, add salt to taste.
Top each bowl of soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, and a dollop of ricotta. Garnish with basil, if desired.