Vegan Smoky “Ham” Pasta! A rich, bold sauce coats protein-packed beans and tender pasta for a delicious vegan comfort meal that is sure to have you coming back for seconds.

Healthy, simple, and brimming with flavor, this Vegan Smoky “Ham” Pasta is reminiscent of a ham and bean soup, but with a tasty pasta twist. You won’t believe how easy it is to make.  The whole family will fall in love with this hearty pasta dish.

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Hi there, Ameera here!

Sooooo Mom is all about smoky flavors as many of our long-time readers already know.  She wanted to recreate an old time favorite from back in the day which was a ham and navy beans pasta dish. Her creation was a nod to a ham and navy bean soup.

AND that is exactly what this dish is all about.  It is reminiscent of that flavor profile.  It obviously does not taste like ham, but it gives you a flavor nod to it.  You will catch it with its smoky flavor with a slightly sweet undertone.  The peanut butter gives just a hint of saltiness and depth of flavor.

Even Yasmeen enjoyed it!  She loves anything pasta!

You gotta give this one a try!

Tips for Success:

• Flavor Profile: This dish is reminiscent of ham.  It has a sweet and smoky flavor profile.  It obviously will not taste like ham.
• Navy Bean Substitutions: You can substitute the navy beans with your favorite white beans
• Peanut Butter: The peanut butter adds a small element of fat to the dish with a hint of saltiness which adds dimension to the dish.  You will not be able to taste the peanut butter.  If you wish, you can leave it out completely with the understanding that the flavor and texture will change.  You will need to compensate for this with additional ingredients.
• Amount of Pasta: While it is always tempting to use more pasta than the amount indicated in the recipe; however, resist the temptation as the amount of pasta indicated is the perfection sauce to pasta ratio otherwise you could end up with a dry dish.
• Pasta: We used a penne pasta, feel free to use your favorite pasta in this dish.
• Greens: Greens such as spinach and kale are natural spice/herb neutralizers.  A soup/stew can taste perfectly seasoned before adding the greens, then once the greens are added, the flavor mellows requiring more seasoning.
• Baby Kale: You can substitute your favorite greens in this dish.  We suggest sticking to tender greens which cook quickly like baby spinach.  Additionally, you can leave the baby kale out of the dish if you wish.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.  Store in a covered container.  Reheating can be done on the stovetop, or in the microwave.

This dish can be frozen; however, it is best if served immediately after making or after refrigerating leftovers.  Pasta does tend to get a little mushy after freezing.

Pantry Products Used:

• Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium 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.
• Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.
• Liquid Smoke: We used Colgin Natural Hickory Liquid Smoke.  Feel free to use your favorite liquid smoke.
• Flour: We used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour.  Please feel free to use your favorite flour.
• Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

Kitchen Products Used:

• Large ceramic/enamel lined skillet or non-stick skillet
• Stock pot to boil the pasta

We certainly hope you give this deliciousness a try.

If you try this cozy pasta, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us!  We would love to hear from you.

Vegan Smoky “Ham” Pasta

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen
• Prep Time: 15 Minutes
• Cook Time: 20-25 Minutes
• Total Time: 35 Minutes
• Yield: 3-4 Servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Healthy, simple, and brimming with flavor, this Vegan Smoky “Ham” Pasta is reminiscent of a ham and bean soup, but with a tasty pasta twist.

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Ingredients

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Base Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon flour *
• 1 teaspoon natural peanut butter *
• ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth *
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup unsweetened plain plant milk
• 1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari *
• ½ teaspoon liquid smoke *
• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 – [ 15 oz. can ] navy beans, drained and rinsed

Herb/Spice Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
• Pinch black pepper (+/-)
• Large pinch red pepper flakes

Other Ingredients:

• 8 to 10 oz. GF penne pasta *
• 1 to 2 cups baby kale, chopped

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Instructions

1. Fill a large stock pot full of water. Add some sea salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil then add the pasta. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Check package directions on cooking times and/or boil the pasta until el dente, drain, rinse with cold water to remove any excess starch, shake well, set aside.
2. Place the Herb/Spice Ingredients (except the red pepper flakes) into a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
3. In a large ceramic/enamel lined skillet or non-stick skillet, add the finely diced onions, sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes to soften, then lower the heat to medium, add the flour, minced garlic, and peanut butter, sauté, stir constantly over for one minute.
4. Add the remaining Base Ingredients and the Herb/Spice Mix to the skillet, stir to incorporate and simmer for about 7 minutes. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to ensure that you got up all the flour that may have stuck to the bottom and stir it into the sauce mixture to thicken.
5. Add the chopped baby kale, simmer for several minutes until the kale is perfectly tender.
6. Taste test, adjust seasonings, if needed.Add the cooked pasta and the red pepper flakes, simmer for several minutes until heated through. Serve and enjoy!

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Notes

*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used. 

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Servings:  3 to 4

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