Recipes

Spring Pasta and Sprouts

I must be in the mood for spring – I see a lot of green in my food lately! Here is a new recipe for Spring Pasta and Sprouts that I tried (simply to finish off some leftover silken tofu). This is a riff on a vegan creamy Alfredo pasta sauce with some green color from the bell peppers and spinach. It turned out surprisingly tasty! Yes, I added parmesan on top but for the true vegans, feel free to substitute with the cheese of your choice.

Spring Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 green bell pepper, cubed
  • 4 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
  • 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, sage – or some such combination)
  • Chobani oat milk (zero sugar, plain) or similar
  • 1/2 a block (8 oz) of Nasoya Organic Silken tofu
  • Parmesan or other cheese (you can use a dairy free substitute here)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  • Saute the garlic, bell pepper and spinach in a couple of tbsp of olive oil until the spinach has just wilted. Add the Italian seasoning. Let cool.
  • Blend with the silken tofu and about a cup of oat milk. Start with half a cup and adjust the milk depending on how thick the sauce looks. You can always add more milk later, if needed, to thin it out.
  • Boil pasta of your choice and mix into the sauce. The starch from the pasta will also help thicken the sauce.
  • Top with freshly ground black pepper and cheese of your choice. Serve immediately.

NOTE: No salt has been added while cooking. The tofu comes in at 5mg sodium per 3 oz and the oat milk at 50mg of sodium per cup. The only salt in the dish is from the cheese so you have total control (and bandwidth!). This is a super low-sodium and delicious dinner.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This is the simplest side that goes with just about anything!

  • Depending on the size of the sprouts, either use them whole or halved.
  • Arrange on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, freshly ground pepper, and a dash of red chili flakes.
  • Roast in an oven at 400F for about 15 minutes.
  • You can stop here OR you can drizzle with a little maple syrup and put back in the oven for 5 minutes. Sprouts elevated!

Enjoy the Spring Pasta and Sprouts!