Tag Archives: pasta

Skillet Lasagna

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If you love the flavors of lasagna but don’t have the time or patience to assemble it, try skillet lasagna! The whole recipe is made in one pan in about 40 minutes. The tofu ricotta recipe is from Minimalist Baker. If you do not need this recipe to be vegan or dairy-free, you can replace the tofu ricotta (and steps to make it) with regular ricotta cheese. If you do need the recipe to be vegan, be sure to use pasta without egg (or other dairy products) rather than egg noodles. Fusilli is the closest shape to egg noodles. Substitute or add other veggies if you’d like, such as kale, roasted eggplant, or tomatoes.

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Skillet Lasagna

Easy, nutritious, filling, and the flavors of lasagna but made in one pan! Vegetarian and can easily be made vegan.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword dairy-free, dinner, easy, entree, mushrooms, one pan, pasta, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, zucchini
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce container extra firm tofu drained
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 6 ounces egg noodles (or fusilli to make vegan) 3 cups dry
  • 1 jar marinara sauce (about 28 ounces)
  • 2 zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks about 2 cups
  • 1 cup baby spinach

Instructions

  1. To make tofu ricotta: In a food processor, puree tofu, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, nutritional yeast, oregano, salt and pepper. Pulse basil until it is distributed but not completely pureed. Set aside.

  2. In a large skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to cook down, about 3 minutes.

  3. Add marinara sauce, pasta, zucchini, spinach, and 1cup water. Stir together, then top with dollops of tofu ricotta. Cover, reducing heat to a simmer, until noodles are cooked, about 10 minutes. For whole wheat noodles, add an extra ½ cup water and 4-5minutes cooking time, or until noodles are al dente or cooked to your liking.

With spiralized zucchini and dairy-free mozzarella shreds
With dairy-free mozzarella shreds

Shelter-in-Pasta

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spaghetti, roasted cabbage, and white beans

This simple, budget recipe can be adapted to your taste or to whatever ingredients you have on hand. It was created using kitchen staples during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

A few recommended ingredients to keep on hand include pasta, beans, garlic, and olive oil. Some fresh vegetables actually last a long time (several weeks or longer) when stored properly, including cabbage, onions, winter squash, and carrots. Cabbage doesn’t have to be bland or boring – this recipe creates roasted ribbons of cabbage to mix into pasta for extra flavor. For fans of roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted cabbage has a similar flavor but is easier to make and typically more affordable!

spaghetti, roasted cabbage, and white beans
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Shelter-in-Pasta

This simple, affordable meal can be made from kitchen staples that don't spoil quickly. It is plant-based and can be adapted to your taste.

Course Main Course
Keyword Beans, cabbage, pasta, plant-based, vegan, whole grain
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti or other long noodle
  • 1/2 head cabbage, savoy or green sliced into 1/4 inch slices
  • 15 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained or 1 3/4 cups cooked white beans
  • 1/4 cup olive oil or butter (or vegan butter)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush cabbage slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes, turning once, until edges are browned.

  2. Cook pasta according to package. Drain and set aside.

  3. In a skillet, heat remaining olive oil (or butter) over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add white beans and stir until heated. Add salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Once cabbage is cooked, cut out the stem pieces so that the cabbage forms ribbons. Toss with cooked pasta and bean mixture.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to customize this recipe. Ideas include:

  • Add other proteins, such as grilled chicken
  • Add cheese, such as parmesan
  • Add other spices or herbs, such as parsley
  • Add other vegetables, such as onion, mushrooms, or tomatoes

One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta

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One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta PhotoThis recipe was adapted from Delicious Everyday. It is a nutritious and balanced meal that contains lots of vegetables, some protein, and whole grains. Despite its rich and creamy texture, it is completely plant-based and contains no dairy products. And to top it off, it can all be made in one pot! Cooking time varies by pasta type with thinner pasta (spaghetti) of course cooking faster than other types such as linguine.

One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta Photo
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One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta

This hearty one pot meal is rich, creamy, and super savory, but still full of vegetables, whole grains, and protein. It also is completely plant-based!

Course Main Course
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 2 pounds mushrooms, mix of white and brown sliced
  • 2 shallots finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary minced
  • 4 cups plain, unsweetened milk alternative cashew recommended
  • 1 can white beans rinsed and drained
  • 2 cubes vegetable bouillon
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 teaspoons white miso
  • 8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti or linguine
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat a stock pot over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add half the mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes, until they start to cook down. Add remaining olive oil and mushrooms and cook until they start to brown, about 3 minutes. Pour off any excess water that has accumulated.

  2. Add shallots, garlic, and rosemary. Cook until shallots start to brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning, about 2 minutes. 

  3. Add milk alternative, beans, nutritional yeast, miso, and salt. Stir to combine. 

  4. Once it reaches a simmer, add the pasta and stir. Reduce heat to a low boil and cook according to pasta instructions, plus about 20% more time. This should be about 14 minutes for whole wheat spaghetti. If necessary, continue cooking until pasta is cooked, adding a little more water (no more than 1 cup) if necessary to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. By the time the pasta is done cooking, you want to have a thickened creamy sauce, not as thick as a gravy or alfredo sauce, but not so thin that it doesn't stick to the noodles. Serve warm. 

One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta Photo One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta Photo









Spaghetti Squash with Green Beans, Arugula, and Truffle Oil

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Spaghetti Squash with Truffle Oil. Guess Who's Cooking. Low carb, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, soy free.

This “pasta” dish is so full of flavor that you won’t care that it’s spaghetti squash, not spaghetti! The truffle oil is optional, but really gives this dish a huge boost in rich, earthy flavor.

Truffle Spaghetti Squash with Green Beans, Arugula, and Truffle Oil

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This rich and flavorful pasta dish is so tasty that you will forget you're eating spaghetti squash, not spaghetti!

Ingredients

  • 1 Medium spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 to 1lb green beans (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
  • handful baby arugula
  • drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
  • garlic powder to taste
  • salt to taste

Optional

  • dash of truffle oil

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds and stringy flesh. Drizzle with olive oil, rub the oil over the inside and outside of the squash, and place face down on a baking sheet.
Step 2
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until squash is fork tender or flakes easily with a fork. Let cool.
Step 3
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, then add green beans. Blanch for 2-3 minutes for thin beans and 4-5 minutes for thick beans. Drain.
Step 4
Once the squash is cool enough to handle, shred the flesh into strands with a fork. In a large bowl, combine the squash, green beans, and arugula. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt and garlic powder to taste.









Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

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Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce - guesswhoscooking.com. Vegan, low carb, healthy.

Make this creamy yet non-dairy/vegan pasta sauce and use however you’d like! I recommend making it with zucchini pasta (instructions below). I’ll try to take a better picture next time I make it. I used the grater blade of my food processor to make these short zucchini noodles in a snap.

Creamy Red Pepper Pasta Sauce

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This creamy pasta sauce is vegan and low-carb. It is delicious when served over zucchini noodles.

Ingredients

  • 1 jar roasted red peppers (7.5 oz drained weight, or 2 roasted bell peppers)
  • 1 cup unsweetened plain coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup onion (diced)
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic (minced)
  • 1-2 tablespoon corn starch
  • salt to taste

Directions

Step 1
Heat a small saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, then onions. Stir occasionally and cook for 3-4 minutes or until onions start to become translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds. Set aside.
Step 2
In a food processor, combine all ingredients except corn starch. Puree until smooth.
Step 3
Heat a saucepan or large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add red pepper puree. Dissolve 1 tablespoon corn starch in 1 tablespoon cold water and stir to combine, then set aside. Heat sauce, stirring occasionally, until it starts to bubble. Reduce heat to a simmer, then add corn starch mixture and stir well. Add another tablespoon of corn starch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water for thicker consistency. Heat until thoroughly heated and thickened to desired consistency.

If you are preparing this sauce with zucchini pasta, shred 4 medium zucchinis. Combine the pureed sauce and shredded zucchini in a large pan. Heat over medium heat and stir occasionally until zucchini starts to become slightly translucent and al dente. Dissolve corn starch in 1 tablespoon cold water and stir to combine. Heat sauce and zucchini, stirring occasionally, until it starts to bubble. Reduce heat to a simmer, then add corn starch mixture and stir well. Heat until thoroughly heated and thickened to desired consistency.