Recipe: Quick and Easy Vegan Sausage Pasta

In recent weeks, I've been flexing my culinary muscles more because it's a little challenging to find decent vegan grub in my neck of the woods. Sure, I could eat french fries everywhere I go, but...I've been trying to get back on the running wagon lately, and my body needs good fuel for my workouts.

A couple weeks ago I decided to re-make a recipe I'd tried out earlier this year - Simple Vegan Italian Sausage and Pasta Dinner - from one of my favorite bloggers/cookbook authors - The Shannons. If you're not familiar with Dan and Annie, they're a husband and wife who set out on a culinary adventure to veganize Betty Crocker's cookbook. Which was no easy feat because Betty liked her butter, dairy, and eggs. I own their cookbook - Betty Goes Vegan - and I think it offers up some great recipes for people who miss meals they used to have in their pre-vegan days or for people who are trying to cut back on meat a little and aren't sure where to start.

Vegan Sausage Pasta

I mentioned that this was the second time I made this recipe, right? My first attempt was back in the spring. I followed the recipe to the letter and then realized that I like garlic more than most people and that this concoction needed more flavor. I also used Tofurkey sausage the first time. I love me some Tofurkey sausage, but it just wasn't cutting it in this recipe. This time I used Upton's Naturals Italian Seitan. It's crumbly, and flavorful, and really made this pasta dish turn out better, I think. (although I think anything by Upton's Naturals makes just about any recipe better - all of their products are SO good)

Ingredients:

• Pasta shape/type of your choice (I used leftover farfalle that had been hanging around in my cupboard) - adjust the amount of noodles based on the number of servings you need
• Vegan sausage - crumbles or sausages sliced into coins
• 5 quartered Roma tomatoes
• 1 package sliced portabella mushrooms
• 2 cups raw spinach leaves
• 2+ cloves garlic, minced (I used about 6)
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method:

1. Prepare the pasta following the directions on the box. Set aside once cooked
2. In a skillet/saucepan, heat the oil.
3. Brown sausage in oil - be careful to not overcook.
4. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, wine, and spices. Stir frequently until tomatoes and mushrooms begin to soften.
5. Add spinach and basil and cook until leaves start to wilt. 
6. Slowly add pasta to sausage/tomato/mushroom/spinach mixture and stir to coat noodles with sauce. 
7. Serve and enjoy!

All told, this recipe came together in around a half hour. My boyfriend and I each has pretty substantial portions and he was able to eat the leftovers at lunch for most of the week. (I definitely used too many noodles) I really think the slight tweaks I made to the recipe (mainly adding more of each of the spices) really jazzed it up a bit. I'll definitely be making this recipe again!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Vegan Pumpkin and White Bean Lasagna

When I moved into my new house last year, after losing 50% of my kitchenware, my mother was nice enough to buy me a crock pot. My original intentions were to use it to heat up rum and cider and I was never sure if I'd find a good use for it to make food. In some families, crock pot cooking is the norm, but my mom never got down with crock pot cooking when I was growing up. The idea of putting food in a pot and letting it cook all day seemed odd to me. But after my boyfriend recently grumbled about how long it takes to cook on weeknights, I decided to buy The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester. I'm generally hesitant about buying cookbooks sight unseen, but after reading reviews for the cookbook, it seemed like it would have some fairly simple recipes that we could try out.

And by "we" I mean my boyfriend.

I had every intention of making this vegan pumpkin lasagna myself. But...I basically just ended up just getting spices out of the cupboard. Not sure how that happened exactly, but if someone wants to make you dinner - don't turn them down.

Vegan Pumpkin and White Bean Lasagna

Ingredients:

For the pumpkin tofu ricotta:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 sun dried tomatoes rehydrated
• 1 package silken, soft, or firm tofu
• 1 can cooked pumpkin
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

For the lasagna:

• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 3/4 package regular (not no boil) noodles
• 1 can (14 ounces) white beans, rinsed and drained

Method:

1. Make the pumpkin tofu ricotta. Blend all ingredients until creamy. 
2. Prepare the crock pot. Spray with cooking oil or grease the pot to prevent the sauce from burning/sticking to the sides. 
3. Spread a think layer of pasta sauce on the bottom of the crock pot. 
4. Break off the corners of a lasagna noodle and place it on top of the sauce. (to make use of the whole crock pot, break other noodles to fill in the rest of the pot). Place a single layer of noodles over the sauce.
5. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. 
6. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the pumpkin ricotta mix.
7. Spread 1/3 of the beans over the sauce. 
8. Repeat the layers two more times and end with noodles on top. Top noodles with remaining pasta sauce.
9. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

So how did it turn out? Because I went for a longer run than I'd originally planned (oops) the noodles got a little overcooked. But...the lasagna still ended up being really good. There was a very subtle pumpkin flavor. Otherwise, it tasted like good old lasagna. (and my boyfriend tells me the lasagna is better reheated - he had the leftovers for lunch yesterday) I wasn't the biggest fan of the beans, but...they added protein. And my boyfriend liked them, so...maybe we'd include them when we make this recipe again. If using tofu in a recipe weirds you out, this recipe could be easily vegetarian-ized. You'd just swap tofu for ricotta cheese and omit the nutritional yeast. I'm sure it would be just as good.

Overall, I'd say this was a cooking WIN. Not just because I didn't have to lift a finger, but because this was a super easy meal to make and it was a really interesting way to use pumpkin. Let me know if you give this recipe a try! And if you're looking for quick and easy recipes to try out in your crock pot, pick up The Vegan Slow Cooker!