Swiss Chard Spaghetti with Field Roast Sausage

Didn’t I just say something about not posting too many pasta recipes? Ahh well.

Swiss chard pasta with Field Roast sausage #vegan

Vegan Swiss Chard Pasta with Field Roast Sausage

Sorry for the crummy picture but I really really really wanted to share this recipe! It comes from the fabulously talented Laura Beck of VegNews/Vegansaurus/Jezebel fame and I suggest you make it immediately. I followed her recipe almost exactly, except I water sauteed my swiss chard and skipped the oil. Here’s the recipe.

Also, here’s your last chance to see my Cocker Piddlers with their winter fuzzies, cuz they’re getting groomed this weekend! By a veeeeegan groomer!! (How happy does that make me? I think you know!)

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“BLT” Baked Spaghetti

Vegan “BLT” Baked Spaghetti

Technically speaking, this isn’t actually BLT Baked Spaghetti, it’s more of a TKT Baked Spaghetti – Tempeh bacon, Kale and Tomato, that is. I used Tofurky maple tempeh bacon which I love, sprinkled with a bit of applewood smoked sea salt to get it sooo good and salty, and I just felt like kale would hold up better than actual lettuce.

I made my first spaghetti pie about a year ago and really liked it, although for some reason I just never made it again. Actually, I think that’s pretty common for food bloggers. We need to keep churning out the new content for you ravenous readers

I suppose that I also try to limit the number of pasta dishes I make and post. I know that a lot of omnivores think we eat nothing but pasta and that’s just not true! That said, I do love me some spaghetti.

In my ~~thinner~~ younger days when I was an undergrad and working 3rd shift at a lightbulb factory (that sounds like the setup for a joke, but I swear it’s the truth!) my friend Ellen and I used to eat spaghetti every day during the summer, when we didn’t have classes. We’d get out of work at 6am and as soon as we had procured our Kahlua and skim milk (bad, bad choices but what can I say? Working overnight makes you a very strange person!) we’d head to my mother’s house because a.) that was where I was living after a gnarly breakup, and b.) she had the nicest kitchen we knew of. Well, it was nice until we got there, anyway. See, I was convinced that the only way you could tell when pasta was done cooking was by throwing it against the ceiling. And I couldn’t reach the ceiling, obvs, so how was I supposed to get it back down afterwards?

If you haven’t figured out yet, my mama is a saint. She’d come home and ask “Why can’t you just throw ONE strand? Why do you have to throw HANDFULS!?” She also had some commentary about why we refused to cover the sauce pot to keep it from splattering all over her cabinets, but she never banned me from her kitchen. I guess a mother’s love really is unconditional

In case you’re wondering how the rest of the day would go, it was a whole lotta Kahlua, skim milk, carbs and Clueless on VHS (hey, this was the 90s!) until 2 or 3 in the afternoon when it was time to go to bed again. I don’t miss working third shift or skim milk, but now that I’m thinking about it I’d like nothing more than to go home and put my jammies back on and visit with Cher and Dionne and the gang. There might be some Kahlua and So Delicious mixed in there as well, but I’m not telling.

Ooooh, and look at my pretty dish! $2.98 at a local thrift store, thankyouverymuch! I love the detail of the little flowers inside where you don’t even see them until the food is all gone.

Anyway, file this one away for when you need a simple meal and or some serious comfort food, cause it’s both.

“BLT” Baked Spaghetti (makes 4-5 servings)

I used a 1-qt baking dish which worked out perfectly. If you don’t mind an extra dirty dish, I recommend mixing everything together in a large mixing bowl and then transferring to your baking dish before topping with the extra vegan cheese!

Ingredients:

12 ounces spaghetti
1 cup torn kale, packed
a couple pinches of garlic powder
8 strips Smoky Maple Bacon Tempeh
Non-stick spray
Applewood smoked sea salt
1/4 cup Daiya mozzarella shreds, plus more for sprinkling on top
1.5 – 2 cups your favorite red sauce
Oregano, to taste
Herbamere or sea salt, pepper to taste
2 roma tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

Put pasta in boiling water, cook per package instructions, minus 1-2 minutes.
Water saute kale with a couple pinches of garlic powder for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Spray a frying pan with non-stick spray and cook tempeh 2-3 minutes on each side over medium heat, until browned. Sprinkle with applewood smoked sea salt if desired. Remove from pan and chop into medium bite-sized pieces.
Drain the pasta and add to the baking dish along with the sauce, oregano, S&P, 1/4 cup Daiya shreds, chopped tempeh and kale. Mix and check for flavor, then add the tomatoes and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 6-8 until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

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Lemon-Butter Fettuccine with Parsley and Pine Nuts

Lemon-Butter Noodles with Parsley and Pine Nuts from That Was Vegan? #vegan

Vegan Lemon-Butter Fettuccine with Parsley and Pine Nuts

Think back to your early 20′s. Fresh out of college, in your first apartment (probably with 2-3 roommates), and your focus was more on having fun with your friends than grocery shopping. You probably ate a lot of ramen noodles (with frozen veggies mixed in if you were “health conscious”, ha ha) and, if you were like me, a lot of spaghetti with melted butter and salt. These Lemon-Butter Fettuccine with Parsley and Pine Nuts are my grown up answer to that admittedly delicious dish.

No way could I have afforded pine nuts back then! It was bad enough that I was always borrowing money from my mom to make my ~~bar tab~~ rent, I doubt she would’ve been amused if I had hit her up to buy seeds too.

Whatever your age, these noodles are delicious. Pair them with a green salad and a glass of crisp white wine and I’d call that just about the perfect meal. It also reheats nicely for workday lunches (hold the wine. Or not.)

PS: Just kidding about that bar tab joke, mom!

PPS: Stop squinting at my pictures, looking for the pine nuts. I forgot to put them in there. I don’t want to talk about it.

Lemon-Butter Fettuccine with Parsley and Pine Nuts (6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 box fettuccine
4-5 Tablespoons Earth Balance (or vegan butter of choice)
1 large lemon (juice and zest!)
Generous 1/4 cup parsley, minced
S&P
4-5 tablespoons pine nuts

Directions:

Boil the pasta per package instructions, then drain. While they’re working, chop your parsley and get that lemon ready! A little trick is to roll it back and forth on your cutting board under your palm, it loosens up the juices.
When the pasta is done, melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the lemon juice and the pasta, and mix well. Let the pasta sit in there for a minute or two and make sure everything is all warm and mixed.
Mix in your parsley, S&P, and top with the lemon zest. I recommend waiting to add the pine nuts until you’ve already plated the fettuccine to make sure they’re evenly distributed- a little less than a tablespoon per bowl.

Enjoy!

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Lasagna Soup

Vegan Lasagna Soup: A thick, rich, delicious and fun soup-alternative to the classic lasagna. I included soy curls in my version, with lots of tomatoes and onions but you could also branch out… maybe add some roasted squash? Yumm! My favorite part is how the melted Daiya makes it all a bit creamy. This soup tastes so much like lasagna and is seriously perfect for these colder winter days we’re all started to have!

You could also have some fun with the type of pasta you choose. Because I’m moving, I’m trying to use up everything in my cupboards, so I used actual lasagna noodles, broken up into bite-sized pieces. Somewhat surprisingly, this actually worked out quite well. Maybe because the inclusion of that traditional pasta ribbon made it feel more like actual lasagna, or maybe just because the substantial pieces made the soup more filling… who knows? Anyway, the shape of the pasta you choose wont change the flavor, so I guess it just depends on whether or not you have picky eaters in the house.

I don’t have any picky eaters in my house, but I do have this guy:

He is a nappin’ fool!

Lasagna Soup (makes 6 servings)

Recipe adapted from Jo Cooks (non vegan/vegetarian)

If you’re using traditional lasagna noodles like I did, the best thing to do is (before you cook them) break them in half lengthwise (so you have 2 long, skinny pieces), then break each of those into thirds or fourths. The pieces don’t need to be uniform.

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
2.5 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup spaghetti sauce
2 cups soy curls (unsoaked)
6-8 cups water
1 cube veggie broth bouillon
2 bay leaves
1.5 Tablespoons dried basil (plus more for sprinkling)
10 ounces of dried pasta
S&P to taste
1 cup Daiya mozzarella shreds

Directions:

Water saute the onions and garlic until the onions are soft, 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle in the oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and rosemary. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then add the diced tomatoes (including the juice in the can), spaghetti sauce and the soy curls. Stir everything together.

Add the water (6 cups at first, you may want to add more later), bouillon, basil and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer (covered) for 15-20 minutes. Add the pasta and allow to simmer for another 20 minutes (or until the pasta is cooked through- depending on the type you use). Add S&P as needed. Also decide at this point if you need to add any extra water, if it’s boiled down too much. I added another 1.5 cups when all was said and done.

The last step before you’re ready to serve is to stir in the mozzarella and let it get a bit melty (1-2 minutes). Sprinkle and dried basil, and serve.

Enjoy!

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Taco Pasta

Taco Pasta is perfect for those busy weeknights when you just don’t know what to make for dinner. The ingredients are likely already in your pantry and fridge- and if they’re not, you can make all sorts of substitutions with this dish!

What has me so busy that I’m focusing on quick n’ easy dishes these days? PACKING! I hate to complain because I know a lot of people have it worse than I do, but my life is a bit upside-down right now. <big sigh>

But hey, at least I have some time for blogging, right? This is actually kind of funny: I was updating my recipes page yesterday and realized I only have 2 recipes for salads. Does that make me a really bad vegan?

Oh, and a little bit of housekeeping. Because Annie made it cool, I went ahead and had my Twitter account hacked, but all is back to normal so you should definitely go ahead and follow me. That’s all I got- I’m off to spend my long holiday weekend packing! UPDATED: And a little MORE housekeeping: I was just alerted to the fact that comments were disabled on this post. They’re also disabled on my Garlicky Pepper Tofu post. I didn’t do this on purpose, and future posts will absolutely have them turned back on. I’m glad someone told me… I was wondering why no one gave me any love on my tofu!

Taco Pasta (makes 5-6 servings)

Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything (non-vegan/vegetarian)

Ingredients:

10 ounces dried pasta (I used rotini), cooked per package instructions
1 small vidalia onion, chopped
1.5 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 can RoTel (the kind w/ diced chiles!)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
1 teaspoon chili powder (more to taste)
4 ounces vegan cream cheese
1/2 cup vegan sour cream
1/3 cup Daiya cheddar shreds
3 Tablespoons dried cilantro
S&P

Directions:

Water saute the onion and garlic until the onion softens just a little bit. You still want it to add some crunch to your dish! Stir in the RoTel and beans, taco seasoning and chili powder and let simmer until heated through, 4-5 minutes.

Add the pasta, then stir in the Daiya, cream cheese and sour cream. Keep stirring (over medium heat) until it’s all nice and creamy, then do a taste-check. Now’s the time to add S&P and maybe some more chili powder. Add the cilantro and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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Spinach Artichoke Pasta

What has spinach and artichoke in it, is really creamy, and super delicious? Spinach Artichoke Dip, right? Yes, but if you want to eat that dip for dinner (and not feel like a weirdo) you have to add PASTA to it, and boom: Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta!

Dinner is served.

This stuff is crazy good! Creamy, just like any good spinach artichoke dip would be, but also spicy and a little crunchy from the panko crumbs sprinkled on top. The original version was spotted on Pinterest (of course), just begging to be veganized. Literally, it was begging. The Pioneer Woman is obviously very popular, and her photography is beautiful, but WTF!? Is she trying to kill of her fans and readers with those unhealthy recipes? Yikes. If you’d like to hear more rant, head on over to The V Word, you’ll laugh your pants off

Bottom line: If you’re craving dip for dinner but want to maintain the image of a responsible adult, just make this. Look at me, looking out for you guys!

Spinach Artichoke Pasta (Serves 4-5)

Adapted from non-vegan/vegetarian recipe

Ingredients:

1 bag baby spinach
1.5 teaspoons dried minced garlic
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and sliced in half
1 Tablespoon Earth Balance
1.5 Tablespoons flour
1.5 cups So Delicious coconut milk
1/4 heaped teaspoon chili powder (more to taste)
1 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)
1/2 bag Daiya Mozzarella shreds
6 oz Campanelle pasta, cooked per package instructions
1/4 heaped cup panko crumbs
1 Tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (more to taste)
S&P to taste

Directions:

Water saute the baby spinach with the garlic and artichoke hearts over medium heat until it’s wilted, 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

Add vegan butter to pan and allow to melt, then stir in the flour. Stir until it’s combined and very thick (this is your roux). Pour in the milk and stir until mostly smooth and heated through, then add in the cheese, salt, onion and chili powder. If it gets too thick, add water.

Fold in the cooked pasta, artichokes, spinach and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring gently. When ready to serve, add the panko crumbs to individual servings, along with more pepper flakes if you want it SPICY!

Enjoy!

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Buffalo Chik’n (Soy Curls!) Spaghetti

Buffalo Chik’n Spaghetti with Soy Curls

Buffalo ~~Chicken~~ Soy Curl Spaghetti rocks! I realize that most vegans consider soy curls to be sooo 2011 (or something) but for me they’re brand new. I’ve read other blogger’s accounts of how wonderful and miraculous they are, but this was my first time trying them. For any other newbies out there wondering What Are Soy Curls?:

“They’re dehydrated strips of soy protein made out of whole, non-GMO soybeans that are slowly cooked until they’re soft, then processed by a machine that breaks them into strands. Then they’re slowly dried at a low temperature and packaged. That’s it. No added fat or flour — just soybeans that have been transformed, leaving them high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, with 10 grams of protein in every serving.” from Oregon Live.

This means they’re a whole food, very different from most mock meats which are derived from isolated soy proteins and full of preservatives and added calories and fat! Plus they look/feel exactly like chicken. You simply soak them in warm water for 10 minutes to rehydrate, squeeze them, the prepare however you like.

I bought them at Nooch last week, but couldn’t decide what to make with them until I saw a very interesting (non-vegan) recipe on Pinterest for buffalo spaghetti. We already know I love Buffalo Tacos and Buffalo Spring Rolls, so why not spaghetti too?

The sauce, which features cream cheese and ranch dressing is super creamy with just the right amount of (adjustable!) buffalo heat and sticks to the pasta perfectly. And I think perhaps soy curls were invented with buffalo sauce in mind! Of course, I’m also anxious to try them in fajitas… and maybe a chik’n salad!??

Buffalo Chik’n Spaghetti with Soy Curls (2 servings)

Adapted from non-vegan recipe

The ingredients below will give you a mild buffalo flavor- give it a try and if you want to up the heat, just add more Franks!

Ingredients:

6 ounces spaghetti
2/3 cup soy curls
1/4 cup ‘not chickn broth’ (or veggie broth of your choice)
1/3 cup Franks buffalo sauce
4 oz vegan cream cheese
1/3 cup vegan ranch
Sea salt

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package directions, rinse with cold water and set aside.
Place soy curls in bowl of warm water and let sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze out all excess moisture.
In a medium sauce pan mix the broth, buffalo sauce, cream cheese and ranch over medium heat, stirring until the cream cheese melts. Taste and add more buffalo or sea salt as needed.
Stir in soy curls and reduce heat to low. Wait a minute or two for the curls to soak up the sauce, then stir in the spaghetti. Once everything is warm, serve immediately.

Enjoy!

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Pesto Pasta with Vegan Sausage and Brussels Sprouts

If you have time- please go vote for me! I entered my Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas in Ethical Ocean’s Summer Recipe contest. You do need to sign up in order to vote, but it just takes a sec- and it’s actually a pretty cool website! Tons of vegan clothing, shoes, accessories, etc.

Pesto Pasta with Vegan Sausage and Grilled Brussels Sprouts

Yet another recipe originally spotted on Pinterest, destined to be veganized. So yes, if you were wondering, I do troll pinterest, looking at all the meat & dairy-infested pictures. And yes, it can be really gross and disconcerting. But! I also derive quite a bit of inspiration from it, so I suppose it’s worth it. I guess I’m just able to see past the animal products to the dish’s true potential… plus it’s really fun to veganize dishes and have them taste even better than the original

I’m pretty sure the Universe wanted me to make this: the day after I spotted the original recipe I was at the store and saw Field Roast sausages on sale, then turned the corner and saw that Brussels sprouts were also on sale! What are the chances? I stocked up on those silly little sprouts (half were destined to be smothered in tangy mustard and grilled), grabbed a package of the Apple Sage sausage (my fave!) and headed home. Then I realized I had forgotten pine nuts, so it was back to the store and then… well, I wont bore you with the details. I eventually made it home with (all of) the goods.

After trimming and blanching, I sliced the sprouts in half and grilled them on a piece of aluminum foil to make it easy, but you could certainly bake them (or grill them using a skewer)… whatever works for you. I let them get just a little crispy, which was perfect. Amazing, actually, when paired with the pesto and the sausage.

Oh that sausage! Oh those crispy Brussels!

Pesto Pasta with Vegan Sausage and Brussels Sprouts (Serves 4 at least)

Adapted from non-vegetarian/vegan recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels sprouts
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
A couple pinches of powdered garlic
1 sheet aluminum foil, for grilling
1 lb bowtie pasta
1 package (4 links) Field Roast Apple Sage vegan sausage, sliced
1/3+ cup pesto
Pine nuts, for sprinkling if desired

Directions:

Rinse of your sprouts, then drop them into a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove immediately and place into an ice bath- this stops the cooking process.
Trim off the stem and any dark outer leaves, and slice in half and place in large bowl. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, sea salt and garlic.
Heat grill to medium, place aluminum foil over the grates and pour out the Brussels/oil mix. Leave on for about 10 minutes, stirring 2-3 times. Let them get a little crispy, but don’t let them burn!!
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
In a medium frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil and lightly sautee sausage just until warm. Add to cooked pasta along with pesto and grilled Brussels. Stir well and serve sprinkled with pine nuts, if desired.

Enjoy!

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Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Creamy(?) Tomato Basil Pasta

Hope this Wednesday finds you all happy and healthy! I’m working from home today which means I have dogs at my feet, and that’s about the best thing I can even imagine This was meant to be my take on VeganYumYum’s Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta, but as you can see from the picture mine didn’t end up quite so creamy. Hmmm.

Anyway, it was still delicious and a GREAT way to use up the basil and tomatoes that I’m certain are crowding your garden right now!

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Cajun Fettuccine with Tofu

Just a quick post today to say Happy Friday and I hope you all enjoyed your patriotic celebrations! Also? Thank you SO MUCH for all the congratulations on my Veganniversary! You guys really do rock! I’m at the dentist today having a permanent cap installed (ensconced?) so whatever you’re currently doing, you’re probably having more fun than I am

This pasta dish was equal parts spicy, creamy and rich: Cooper and I give it two paws up! I used Happy Herbivore’s alfredo recipe, and there’s plenty of tofu and tomatoes in there as well, making it pretty healthy for a pasta dish. I made a double batch and we had it for dinner twice, and the leftovers held up perfectly well in the fridge/microwave which is always a bonus, right?

Cajun Fettuccine with Tofu (Makes 4-5 servings)

Adapted from the non-vegan/vegetarian recipe

Ingredients:

TWO batches of Happy Herbivore’s Instant Vegan Alfredo Sauce (just the sauce, not the pasta!) (You can use AP flour- I did)
1.5 Tablespoons blackening spice
1 block extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and sliced
4-5 Servings of fettuccine
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Nutmeg, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Chopped parsley, if desired

Directions:

Prepare the Alfredo sauce, and taste-test. I added a dash of sea salt, but don’t add too much at this point- the blackening spice has some salt in it, too. Set aside.
Cover both sides of the tofu with blackening spice and bake at 350 until dry and firm (but not overcooked!), about 10-15 minutes each side.
Put 4 large servings of fettuccine on to boil, per package instructions.
In a medium pan, water saute the garlic and grape tomatoes until soft and fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Pour in the alfredo sauce and mix thoroughly.
Dice the cooked tofu and add to the sauce mix. Mix well and taste-test, then add nutmeg, S & P as needed.
Pour sauce mixture over pasta, and serve sprinkled with chopped parsley

Enjoy!

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That Was Vegan?

Recipes so delicious you'll never think twice!

Category Archives: Pasta

Swiss Chard Spaghetti with Field Roast Sausage

“BLT” Baked Spaghetti

Lemon-Butter Fettuccine with Parsley and Pine Nuts

Lasagna Soup

Taco Pasta

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

Buffalo Chik’n (Soy Curls!) Spaghetti

Pesto Pasta with Vegan Sausage and Brussels Sprouts

Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Cajun Fettuccine with Tofu