Quick Red Pepper Pasta (WFPB)
Roasted red peppers are one of the finest ingredients that I did not discover until fairly recently. They make everything so much more flavorful! You can roast them yourself and peel off the skins, or buy a jar of roasted peppers that already have the skins peeled off. You can blend them into hummus for roasted red pepper hummus, put them on a veggie sandwich, blend into cheese sauces (such as this yummy recipe) or make this delicious pasta sauce!
Simply blend the ingredients together, then heat it up in a skillet while your pasta cooks. Put the two together, and you’re done! It’s surprisingly creamy for not having any nuts or coconut products.
Tahini
Tahini is something you may notice I’ve been using more often in my recipes. It seems like cashews are over-used in the plant-based world. Some people can’t eat tree nuts or have a sensitivity to them, so I like to try to provide nut-free options when possible. It’s also so much easier to put a scoop of tahini in than to blend up cashews until creamy. Unlike most, I actually don’t love the taste of tahini, but in many recipes, like this one, the flavor is totally covered up and you just benefit from the creaminess! If you don’t have any tahini, you could blend up 1/4-1/2 cup cashews into the sauce instead.
Nutritional yeast
Nutritional yeast might also be an ingredient you’re hesitant about. Every plant-based expert I know uses nutritional yeast (even the very strictest like Joel Fuhrman, Michael Greger, etc.). It is considered a whole, plant food and adds so much depth of flavor that I think it’s a great ingredient to keep in your pantry. Although it’s most common to find fortified nutritional yeast, I recommend UN-fortified, as I don’t like to consume synthetic vitamins (such as folic acid instead of folate). Sari, Anthony’s, and Noochilicious are good brands that offer unfortified. This is my favorite brand on Amazon. One package lasts a very long time, and it’s cheaper than buying that much cheese!
Plant-based Parm
For a yummy sprinkling on top, make some plant-based parm! I mix about 3/4 cup almond flour with 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and 3/4 tsp salt. Sprinkle it on top of plain pasta, salads, soup, etc.
Let me know what you think of this quick and unique pasta dish!
Simple, flavorful, healthy!
- 1 12-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 TBSP tahini
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 3/4 cup soy milk (or other plant milk)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (this does not make it spicy--use 1/2 tsp for more heat)
- 14-16 oz box whole grain or legume pasta (I like rotini or shells, either made with whole wheat, chickpeas, or lentils)
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Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Cook according to package directions.
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Blend the sauce ingredients in a blender together until very smooth.
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Pour the sauce into a skillet and bring to a low simmer, stirring frequently. This cooks the raw garlic and thickens the sauce slightly.
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Once pasta is cooked, drain. Add to the skillet and stir together. Sprinkle with plant-based parmesan if desired. The pasta will soak up the sauce quite a bit over the next 10 minutes.
Adapted from DelishKnowledge.com
