Gourmet Vegan Pesto Pasta with Cauliflower Meatballs

gourmet vegan recipe-cauliflower-pesto-pasta-

This gourmet vegan pesto pasta with cauliflower meatballs dish is a hit at dinner parties!

Spring is here, and with the season comes the desire for refreshing, light, yet satisfying meals. This vegan recipe fits the bill perfectly! Cauliflower is all the craze at the moment due to it’s versatility, dense composition of nutrients, and low number of calories.  Made with nutrient dense whole food ingredients, this gourmet vegan meal is one you will be proud of!

Bucatini Pasta with a Springtime Asparagus Walnut Pesto Topped with a Spicy Cauliflower Meatball

Ingredients for Pesto/Pasta

  • 1 lb steamed asparagus
  • 4 cloves chopped garlic
  • 1/3 cup walnuts
  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • pinch red pepper flakes 
  • 1 lb. Bucatini Pasta

Ingredients for Cauliflower “Meatballs”

  • 1/4 head steamed cauliflower chopped and cooled
  • 1 cup cooked and cooled whole wheat couscous
  • 2 tbsp pure pumpkin
  • 3 cloves chopped garlic
  • 1 cup V Breadcrumbs
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper to tastegourmet-vegan-pesto-dish-with-cauliflower-meatballs

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients for pesto in a food processor and put on high setting and allow all ingredients to blend well. Add a little extra oil if pesto is too thick.
  2. For the Cauliflower “Meatballs” combine all ingredients except couscous into a food processor and mix well.
  3. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in couscous.
  4. Adjust seasonings.
  5. Roll into tiny meatballs and heat a non stick pan on low/medium heat coated with oil.
  6. Gently allow meatballs to brown on all sides turning every minute.
  7. Mix pasta with pesto and garnish with crushed walnuts.
  8. Top with a meatball or two and enjoy!

Tips

  • If “meatballs” are too dry add more pumpkin.
  • If mixture is too wet add additional Breadcrumbs.
  • Keep the balls small so they cook through quickly.

Artichoke and Brussels Pasta

artichoke-and-brussels-sprouts-pasta

Who wants a FANCY pasta dinner? I do!

This vegan pasta dish is perfect for meatless Monday, for any other night of the week when you need something quick and easy! I used linguine, but feel free to use any type of pasta you like, even whole wheat or gluten free noodles! This is something ANYONE can cook and that most people would love to scarf down.

Ingredients:

  • 1 LB Pasta
  • 1 bag Brussel Sprouts
  • 2 cans quartered Artichoke Hearts
  • 5 cloves Garlic
  • Juice from one Lemon
  • As much olive oil as you would like to coat the pasta
  • Sea Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Boil your pasta water
2. Warm your olive oil on your cast iron skillet
3. Slice your Brussels (I sliced each Brussel twice)
4. Sautée your Brussels for about 3 minutes so they aren’t over cooked but have a little color on them. (I added some pink salt)
5. While the Brussels are in the pan, slice your garlic.
6. Add pasta to boiling water
7. Remove the Brussels (keep the heat on)
8. Add more oil to the Brussels pan, enough for a pound of pasta.
9. Add your garlic to the heated oil
10. Rinse and drain two cans of quartered artichoke hearts
11. Add the artichoke hearts to the garlic and oil.
12. Once the pasta is cooked add it to the skillet with the garlic and artichokes. Squeeze the juice from one lemon onto the pasta and add salt and Brussels. Toss all together for a few minutes

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Danielle

artichoke and brussels pasta

 

New High Protein Chickpea Pasta!

Banza-Chickpea-Pasta

I noticed a new high protein vegan-friendly pasta on the grocery store shelves the other day… Banza pasta made from chickpeas!Banza-Chickpea-Pasta-nutritional-label

I’m always excited to find new, healthy products to add my vegan diet plan (and share with all of you of course) so I was psyched to give this pasta a try. I checked the ingredients… approved! I cooked it up the same night. I was craving mac and cheese so I simply added a splash of Good Karma flax milk, some Daiya vegan cheese shreds, and sea salt and pepper, and wow, it was a hit! Compared to the mung bean pasta I usually eat, this pasta tastes more like traditional white pasta. It’s not as low in carbs, has less fiber, and is not organic, but it still has a great nutritional profile. Check it out…

In comparison to regular wheat pasta, Banza pasta has:

  • Double the protein (14 vs. 7 grams per serving).
  • Nearly half the net carbs (24 vs. 40 grams per serving).
  • Four times more fiber (8 vs. 2 grams per serving).

Besides being vegan, Banza pasta is also gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, made in a nut-free facility and free from artificial ingredients. In fact it only has 4 ingredients! Chickpeas, tapioca, pea protein, and xanthan gum.

I checked out their website, and Banza offers a ton of recipes, few of which are vegan. I picked one that only had a couple ingredients substituted to share with you, but many of the other recipes can also be easily modified to make vegan.

Thai Peanut Pasta Salad

Ingredients

Serves 6-8 ~ Vegan ~ Gluten Free

  • 1 box Banza rotini pasta
  • 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon agave or date paste
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 3 green onions, sliced thinly

Recipe

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until pasta is cool.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, agave or date paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, water and sriracha.
  3. Toss noodles with sauce.
  4. Toss cabbage, carrots and green onions with pasta.
  5. Chill and serve cold.

Vegan-Thai-Peanut-Pasta-Salad