Description
When pasta and greens come together, it’s a beautiful thing! Simplicity at its finest, this hearty, flavorful, and oh-so-delicious Italian Pasta and Peas is total comfort food. A one-pot wonder, ready in 30 minutes or less, and a perfect blend between a soup and a pasta dish. If you’re a pasta lover, this dish is sure to win your over, not to mention your wallet too. Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Ingredients
- 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup vegetable broth *
- 4 cups water (or broth)
- 1 Tablespoon white miso *
- 2 cups dry pasta (of choice) *
- 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1 – [ 15.5 oz. can ] cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup unsweetened plain plant milk
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 5 oz. baby spinach/baby kale mixed greens
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (+/-)
- ½ + ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes
Optional Oil Free Basil Pesto:
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 2 Tablespoons vegan oil free cream cheese (We used Kite Hill)
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened plain plant milk
- 2 teaspoons toasted pine nuts
- Pinch sea salt
Optional Toppings:
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Italian microgreens
- Toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- In a large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven/pot or similarly large stockpot, add the finely diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes until the veggies are tender. (If needed to prevent sticking, add a splash of vegetable broth or water).
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for one minute.
- Add the water, vegetable broth and miso bring to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer.
- Add all the seasonings, stir to combine.
- Add the dry pasta (see notes), frozen peas, and cannellini beans. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the plant milk and nutritional yeast and cook until the pasta is almost tender, then fold in the baby spinach/baby kale greens and remove from the stove.
- Place a lid on the pot and let stand undisturbed for 5 minutes. Check the pasta to ensure it is tender. If not, replace the lid until tender.
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
- If making the Basil Pesto, place all the Basil Pesto ingredients into a high-speed blender and pulse for 30 seconds or more until well emulsified. Dollop on individual servings.
Notes
*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients; however, this brand of vegetable stock does have a strong flavor so less broth is required when compared to the water ratio. We use a higher water to broth ratio because of this. If you are using a brand other than Pacific vegetable broth, then consider adjusting the water/vegetable broth ratio accordingly. For example, if you are using a very mellow vegetable broth, you might consider 4 cups of vegetable broth and 1 cup of water for this recipe. Please adjust the recipe (broth/water ratio) accordingly based upon the vegetable broth brand used if using other than Pacific Organic Vegetable Stock. IMPORTANT UPDATE: Pacific Organic has changed their recipe for this broth so it is not as strong. Consider 2 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 cups broth.
*Miso: We used Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free. Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil. You can also substitute with chickpea miso for a soy free version.
*Pasta: If using a gluten free pasta you may wish to cook the pasta separately, drain and rinse really well in cold water to remove all the excess starch, then add the cooked pasta at the end. Gluten Free pasta tends to release a lot of starch into the water and makes the dish cloudy.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: 4 to 6
*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 7 days.