Tag Archives: Pasta

Roasted Vegetable Pasta with Basil Lemon sauce

I have been using this method of roasting vegetables for a little while, which I learned from Chef Julia.  Basically you mix a little tahini into a couple tablespoons of of vegetable stock and use that to toss with the vegetables before putting in a hot oven (around 220 degrees C). I usually mix them up again around 20 mins in and then just keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t burn.

The sauce is rather pesto-like but with a more pronounced lemon twist. I used pasta from a fantastic local company who make an amazing wholemeal sourdough pasta range, but substitute your favourite pasta, this works well with any shape.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta with Basil Lemon sauce
 
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Roasted vegetables alongside steamed broccoli, pasta and a tangy creamy pesto-inspired sauce
Author:
Recipe type: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian inspired
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • Sauce:
  • ½ cup cashews
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove fresh garlic
  • 30g fresh basil
  • 2 rounded desertspoons nutritional yeast
  • 4 tablespoons boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • Toasted pine nuts (optional)
  • Extra fresh basil, shredded (optional)
  • 1 heaping cup roasted vegetables per person
  • Suggestions of vegetables:
  • Butternut Squash
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Capsicums
  • Red onions
  • I usually make a big batch once a week and store in the fridge
  • 400g wholemeal pasta - used fusilli
Instructions
  1. Roast your vegetables (see description on my method in opening paragraph)
  2. Meanwhile put all sauce ingredients apart from lemon zest in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the lemon zest and allow it to sit at room temperature.
  3. Adjust seasoning as required.
  4. Cook the pasta.
  5. Steam the broccoli.
  6. In a large bowl mix together the pasta, vegetables and sauce.
  7. Top with toasted pine nuts plus more shredded fresh basil if liked.

 

Easy Mushroom Pasta with Chilli Lemon & Garlic

Sometimes you need dinner on the table in 20 mins, tops.  This is so easy to throw together as the only fresh things you need on hand are mushrooms and fresh parsley – and if you have that growing in your garden – or on your windowsill, even easier!  I always have pasta in the pantry, chilli, garlic, lemons and wine in my fridge, so just keep some cashew cream on hand and you’re all set to make this dish.

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Easy Mushroom Pasta with Chilli Lemon & Garlic
 
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Recipe type: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 300g wholewheat pasta
  • 600 g small white mushrooms, washed and quartered
  • 2 largish cloves garlic, microplaned
  • Zest of an organic (unwaxed) lemon
  • 6 tablespoons chopped parsley (about half a bunch)
  • Large pinch of semi dried chillies (Gourmet Garden pots) – or use fresh if you prefer
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 tsp tamari
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons cashew cream (cashews soaked, blended with enough water to make a thick cream)
  • ½ cup soy milk
  • Salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. Put your pasta on to boil.
  2. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, add the mushrooms, stirring frequently until softened and liquid released and half-evaporated – about 5-7 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and lemon zest, chillies and sauté for a further 5 minutes.
  4. Add wine, tamari, nutritional yeast, cashew cream and soy milk, turn down the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the sauce comes together.
  5. Scatter with parsley, pour over your cooked pasta and mix well.
  6. Top with extra parsley if liked, and season well.

 

Vegetable & Pasta Bake

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This is slightly different to the other pasta bake on this site in that it’s a different sauce – this one is based on a Susan Voisin’s recipe from fatfreevegan.com but with a lot less nooch, but more lemon and miso, plus some sweetness from maple syrup.   I managed to photo it this time before we demolished it. 🙂   I added steamed broccoli, cauliflower, peas and sweetcorn to it this time, but you can add any vegetables you like, it’s a great way of using up already cooked veggies from the fridge too and then you save even more prep time. Either way this is a pretty simple and quick weeknight meal.  I added a lovely crunchy breadcrumb and walnut crust on this one too which adds a good texture contrast.

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Vegetable & Pasta Bake
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • SAUCE:
  • 1 ¼ cups water
  • 1 cup soymilk
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch or potato starch
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 tablespoon miso
  • 1 small jarred roasted red capsicum
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • VEGETABLES & PASTA
  • 250g broccoli florets
  • 250g cauliflower florets
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • ½ cup frozen sweetcorn
  • 1 large red onion
  • 275g wholewheat pasta e.g. fusilli / penne etc
  • TOPPING
  • 2 cups fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
  • 8-12 walnut halves - depending on size
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • Blended all together thoroughly in a food processor.
Instructions
  1. Put a very large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. You will be combining everything in the pot later so make sure it's big enough.
  2. Put all the sauce ingredients into a blender, (or a jug and use a stick blender) and blend on high for 10 seconds or until completely smooth.
  3. Pour into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring frequently with a whisk until the sauce is thick and smooth. Remove from the heat.
  4. Add the pasta to the water if it's boiling.
  5. Prepare your vegetables and add to the water for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
  6. Make your breadcrumb topping.
  7. Once the pasta and vegetables are cooked, drain, return to the pan and pour over the sauce. Mix thoroughly.
  8. Pour into a large lasagne dish, top with your breadcrumb mixture.
  9. Place in the oven at 180 for 30 minutes or until top crisp and sauce is bubbling.

 

Pasta, Pea & Broccoli Bake

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Another simple family friendly meal.  There’s something about the combination of peas and pasta, I’m not sure what it is but I find it hard not to add frozen peas to almost any pasta meal.  This is made extra special by the addition of breadcrumbs and baking it, rather than it being just pasta and sauce but if you’re pushed for time that would be just fine too.  We were so hungry and keen to dig in that we forgot to take any pictures of it dished up, so you’ll have to wait til next time for that!  Believe me it was delicious and we all had 2nds.  This actually serves 6 reasonable sized portions.  🙂

Pasta, Pea & Broccoli Bake
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Bake
Cuisine: Italian-ish
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 1 heaped tablespoon cornflour
  • ½ cup cashews, soaking
  • 2 cups soy milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • ½ tsp marmite / miso
  • 1 tsp chicken style stock powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp agave syrup / rice malt syrup
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 small roasted red capsicum from a jar
  • 300g wholemeal pasta penne/ fusilli/ orecchiette
  • 1 large head of broccoli, divided into small florets
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 slices wholemeal bread, made into breadcrumbs in a food processor.
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
  2. Put the cashews into some boiling water and set aside.
  3. Put Pasta on to cook and find the baking dish you want to use – a lasagne style one works well.
  4. Put on a kitchen timer so you can add the frozen peas to the pasta 2 minutes before it’s ready.
  5. Fry the onions in a dry frying pan, in a splash of stock /water and stir occasionally until browning and softened.
  6. Add the soy milk to the pan, then and add all the flavourings - the bay leaf, mustard, lemon juice, marmite, stock powder, salt, agave, yeast, spices, tahini, and capsicum and stir well. Add the soaked cashews, the onions, and simmer for 10 minutes over a gentle heat.
  7. Remove the bay leaf, blend with a stick blender, add the cornflour and blend again. Allow it to thicken, stirring constantly until flour is cooked out. – around 5 minutes. Taste and adjust lemon / salt / sweet balance.
  8. Whilst the sauce simmers, check the pasta and peas are cooked, drain and set aside in a large bowl. Steam the broccoli for 6 minutes over the same water to save using another pot.
  9. Once broccoli is just tender, mix in with the pasta in the bowl, pour over all the sauce and mix thoroughly. Pour into your baking dish, top with the breadcrumbs and spray quickly with an oil spray.
  10. Put in the oven for 25 minutes, until bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden.