fresh veggie pasta

summer produce makes my world go round. farmer's markets, local gardens, roadside fruits and veggies... i love being able to incorporate all this freshness into my meals. sure, i use a can of this or that along the way, but the bright colours and crisp flavours take center stage.

• 8 oz. pasta
• 1/2 medium zucchini
• 1 medium sunburst squash
• 1/4 head of cabbage
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 can diced tomatoes
*or three fresh tomatoes
• 1 half can tomato paste (3 oz.)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon black pepper

cook pasta according to directions on package. chop all veggies into bite size pieces, and shred cabbage. in a large skillet or saucepan, pour in the entire can of tomatoes (including liquid!) and add veggies and spices. if you use fresh tomatoes, you may need to add 1/2 cup a water because this liquid really helps soften the veggies and cabbage. cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until cabbage is tender. add in the tomato paste around the 10 minute mark - the tomato paste serves as a thickening agent for the sauce, so you may need to add more than 3. oz if sauce is still thin.

pour chunky veggie sauce over your pasta noodles of choice - here with elbow macaroni.

creamy cashew tomato sauce

when i set out to make pasta for dinner, i often have the southern vs. northern italy debate with myself. my great grandfather was from garda in northern italy, a region known for creamy white sauces. my great grandmother was from naples in the south, which favours hearty red tomato sauces. i love the flavours of both cuisines, but what i love most is combining the best of both worlds to create a nice creamy red. add some cashews to the mix, and you've got some crazy italian goodness!

• 8 oz. penne pasta
• 1 head broccoli, chopped
• 1 ¼ cups raw cashews, soaked
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 fresh tomatoes
• 2 basil leaves
• 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/2 small can tomato paste (3 oz.)
• 1 teaspoon bragg's liquid aminos
• 1 tablespoon soy milk powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano

soak raw cashews at least 4 hours, and then blend them up very fine in a magic bullet or food processor. set them aside. cook pasta according to directions. while pasta is cooking, steam the broccoli florets. in the food processor, blend up the two tomatoes and basil leaves.

in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and saute the garlic until it starts to brown. on medium-low heat, add the tomatoes and rest of sauce ingredients. simmer for 10 minutes, adding in additional water if the sauce is too thick. add in the broccoli florets and continue simmering for 5 minutes more.

remove from heat and serve over pasta. this recipe makes two small servings, so double as necessary.

linguine con broccoli (in creamy white wine sauce)

my absolute favourite italian restaurant in kansas city is garozzos. unfortunately, it's not so vegan friendly (it became my favourite when i was just ovo-lacto veg). anyways, they have some amazing pasta dishes there, including a linguine pasta in a creamy white wine sauce. every once in a while i have a 'try-to-replicate-it' night, and this was my best attempt. it was really good, although not exact (how do you veganize provel cheese?!).

• 1 pkg. linguine (approx 12 oz.)
• 2-3 cups broccoli florets, steamed
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter *like smart balance
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

sauce ingredients:

• 2 cups soymilk (unsweetened)
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons bragg's aminos
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 ½ tablespoons onion powder
• 1 tablespoons black pepper
• 2/3 cup white cooking wine

first combine the soymilk and ACV in a jar or something shakeable and let sit - this will cause the soymilk to thicken. start cooking the linguine (according to package), and steam the broccoli.

in a medium sauce pan, sauté the garlic in olive oil on medium heat. once the garlic starts to roast, add the butter. combine the rest of the sauce ingredients - except for the wine - in the same jar as the soymilk. cap the jar, and shake vigorously until everything has been mixed well. pour the mixture in the saucepan, turning heat down to low-medium. let simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce is fairly thick and creamy. add the broccoli florets and cooking wine, simmering for 3-5 minutes more. remove from heat.

personally, i prefer to let the sauce rest for several minutes before serving with the linguine. as the sauce begins to cool off, it will thicken up even more.

cabbage and peas in nooch sauce

education time for non-vegans: 'nooch' is a reference to nutritional yeast - known for helping us create imitation cheeze sauces, or i've even heard it used to refer to the sauce itself. i buy it in the bulk bins at whole foods, and find that a good $5 worth will last me at least a month or more, and i cook a lot. some people don't like the taste, but i do, and like to add it to my veggies for a little amped up flavour.

• 10 oz cabblage/carrot mix
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter (earth balance)
  
• 1 cup cooked peas (~1/2 can)
• tabasco or other hot sauce (optional)

for the nooch sauce:

• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 1 tablespoon white miso
• 1 cup soy milk (unsweetened)
  
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• heavy dash of black pepper

mix all nooch sauce ingredients in a jar and shake to mix. i save pickle or salsa jars just for this purpose. small mason jars would work just as well.

saute cabbage in large non-stick skillet with 2 tablespoons water on high. in 3-5 minutes, the cabbage should start to show some translucency, but still have a crunchy texture. add in the butter, and peas. about 30 seconds later, pour in nooch sauce. continue cooking on medium-high for about 4-5 minutes and remove from heat. it shouldn't be too liquidy - if it is, keep cooking. the cabbage and peas should be nicely coated, but not swimming. top with hot sauce if so desired.

this makes a nice side dish for about 3 people.