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Pasta Pesto

Power up your pasta!​

We love pasta, who doesn't? It makes an appearance on our plates at least twice a week. I try to level it up by choosing whole wheat or chickpea pasta but even regular pasta can be nutritious, especially when you top it with a plant-powered, protein-packed sauce! 

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Here are my favorites,  they all come together in about 20 minutes while your pasta is cooking for a quick weeknight dinner or you can make ahead of time and use it all week or freeze and pull it out when needed for a quick, nutritious dinner. 

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Tomato Lentil Sauce 

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 yellow onion 

  • 3-4 cloves of garlic 

  • 1 can tomato sauce 

  • 2/3 cup water 

  • 1/4 cup red lentils 

  • 1 tsp dried basil, oregano, thyme

  • Salt & pepper 

 

Instructions :

1. Sautee onion and seasoning until the onion is soft. 

2. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes 

3. Add tomato sauce, water and rinsed lentils and more spices if desired.

4. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until lentils are soft

5. Add to blender and puree, add water if desired to thin.

6. Add to warm pasta and serve immediately. 

Optional: add parmesan or vegan parm to sauce if you want some extra cheesiness  

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*New* Powered-Up Pesto â€‹

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Ingredients :

  • 1.5 cups fresh spinach

  • 1/2 cup steamed broccoli 

  • 1/4 cup fresh basil

  • 3 garlic cloves

  • 1/4 cup good olive oil

  • 1 lemon, juiced

  • 2 tablespoons hemp seeds

  • 2 tablespoons parmesan or vegan parmesan 

  • Dash of salt

 

Instructions :

1. In a food processor or blender, add all ingredients to combine.

2. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze in ice cubes for up to 6 months to pull out and add to pasta. 

 

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Creamy Tofu Alfredo â€‹

Ingredients :

  • 1 block of firm tofu, drained and pressed

  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 

  • 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (or use fresh basil)

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or use fresh oregano)

  • Salt & pepper 

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Instructions :

1. Drain the tofu and press it to remove excess water.

2. In a blender or food processor, combine the drained tofu, minced garlic, olive oil, nutritional yeast, soy milk, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and spices. Blend until smooth and creamy.

3. In a large skillet or saucepan, heat the creamy tofu sauce over low to medium heat. Warm it through, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes and add to pasta immediately. 

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