Cook and Mangia Like An Italian With These
Vegan Pasta Recipes

I come from an Italian family and love my vegan pasta recipes. I think I ate pasta all the way back to when I was in the womb!

Pasta has gotten a bad reputation from the low-carb diets afficionados out there recently, but it's unwarranted. The easiest way to combat this is to look for whole grain pastas. Most supermarkets have whole wheat pasta, as well as even brown rice pasta, quinoa pasta, and a mix of gluten-free pastas.

Nowadays, at Whole Foods you can find pasta made out of just about any grain. We try to eat mostly whole grains in their natural form, but when you want the convenience and indulgence of vegan pasta recipes, go for the better-for-you whole grain pasta options.

What's better with pasta than cheese, right? If you're looking for some great vegan cheese recipes, check out the ebook I wrote called Cut the Cheese, all about why we struggle to quit dairy cheese and with 12 amazing vegan cheese recipes.

Pasta la Caprese

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. whole grain penne rigate pasta
• 1 small yellow banana pepper, julienned
• 5 ripe tomatoes, julienned (this dish is BEST in the summer when tomatoes are ripe and smell delicious)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil or to taste
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 oz. vegan mozzarella cheese (Daiya is the best brand), optional
  

Directions:

Cut the tomatoes and pepper into very tiny strips, julienne style. Crush and mince the garlic and basil.

Combine the tomatoes, pepper, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the counter to marinate for several hours. I like to make this around lunch time when I am planning to eat it at dinner because it ripens and livens up over the day. Every time you go in the kitchen it will smell better. It's important not to put this in the fridge (unless it's very hot in the house) because the tomatoes will get mealy.

When you are ready to eat, cook the pasta, drain it, and pour over the top. If you are adding cheese, this is the time to do it. It will melt from the heat of the pasta.

Serves 4.

YUM YUM! Summer in a bowl! Enjoy this great vegan pasta recipe!

Vegan Lasagna with Kale and Tofu Ricotta

My gramma made a killer lasagna when I was younger and I have worked for years to get a recipe that rivals hers. This one does! It's so tasty and healthy.

You could make this vegan pasta recipe quicker by buying sauce at the store and filling it with vegan cheese, but if you want to go all out, this recipe is worth it, and it really doesn't take very long to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe of "Meat" Sauce
• 1 package lasagna noodles (I like the whole wheat ones)
• 1 recipe Tofu Ricotta cheese
• 1 lb. kale (or spinach), rinsed and chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
  

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F and set aside a baking dish with tall sides.

Cook lasagna noodles in boiling salted water until just slightly softened (they will continue to cook in the oven). Remove the noodles with tongs and place them in a colander.

Add the kale into the pasta water and cook for two minutes, just until it is limp, but still very green, then remove from the water.

To assemble the lasagna, put a layer of sauce on the bottom of your casserole dish. Cover the sauce with a layer of lasagna noodles, and then add more sauce over the noodles.

Make a layer of kale, and put a layer of ricotta cheese on top.

Continue with the sauce-noodles-sauce-kale-cheese formation until all the ingredients are gone. Typically I make three total layers of lasagna noodles, but it depends on the size of your baking dish.

Finish with a thin layer of sauce on top of the last layer of noodles.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until the top starts to get crispy.

Serves 6.

Asian Sesame Noodle Salad

This sesame noodle salad is a healthy go-to meal for me when I don't have a lot of time and don't feel like thinking about what to make. It's been adapted from several vegan pasta recipes. You can always add sauteed tofu or tempeh instead of the edamame beans.

The traditional noodles for this salad are soba noodles, made from Japanese buckwheat soba. In a pinch, I've used whole wheat spaghetti, like in this picture.

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz. package buckwheat soba noodles
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 cup frozen edamame beans (not in pods), optional
• 1/2 cup frozen corn, optional
  

Directions:

Cook soba noodles according to the instructions, making sure to keep the noodles slightly undercooked, or el dente. When they are almost done, add the edamame and corn and cook until they are warmed through.

Remove the pot from the heat and rinse the noodles, edamame, and corn until cooled.

Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, agave nectar, and rice vinegar with a whisk.

Put all the vegetables in a large bowl and cover with the sauce, stirring until combined. Spread the sesame seeds over the top and serve.

Serves 4.

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