Pasta Verdure, Vegan Pasta Verdure

Pasta Verdure, Vegan Pasta Verdure

Lite, easy and quick recipe for Vegan Pasta Verdure in Cauliflower Cream Sauce. Includes step by step pictures.

My earlier recipe for Vegan Penne Rigate Mushroom Bolognese was pinned more than 800 plus times and still running strong. After that recipe post, I have been getting a lot of mails for more lite pasta recipes. I am happy to oblige. This pasta verdure uses cauliflower cream sauce instead of cheese. The sauce is so creamy and smooth and delicious. I promise, you wont miss the cheese. Come with me. Lets make another lite dinner. Lets jump in. “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!”

Lets make the cauliflower puree for the sauce. Boil about 8-10 florets of cauliflower in water until fork tender. Drain the water. Puree the cauliflower in a blender. Add in up to a cup of water while pureeing. Make a fine paste. Set aside.

In a wide skillet, add couple of tablespoons of olive oil, chopped garlic and a teaspoon of dried Italian herb mixture. (Any store bought kind will do. Mine had oregano,thyme,dried garlic and basil). Waking up the spices and herbs in oil is the best method to bring them alive. Its the indian technique of tempering spices called the tadka that not only works wonders on Indian cooking but to any cooking. It works every single time. I do it for all my cooking. Not just Indian.

Once the garlic starts to brown, add in the onions and the veggies. I used peeled and diced zucchini, carrots and peas. Add in a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, soy sauce and sugar. The sugar helps in caramelizing the veggies. Soy sauce gives it a nice umami as we are not adding any cheese in this recipe. Saute until the vegetables are AL-dente.

Once the veggies are cooked, add in the cauliflower puree, red bell peppers, pasta and the juice of a lemon. Stir well for a minute. Remove from heat.

For the garnish: Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan and add in fresh coarse bread crumbs and saute till brown. Sprinkle on the pasta and serve hot.

• 250 grams Penne Pasta
• 300 grams cauliflower
• 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb mixture (Any store-bought variety is fine)
• 4 cloves garlic chopped fine
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 1/2 cup peas
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 medium zucchini peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

For the Garnish

• 1/4 cup fresh coarse bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Boil about 8-10 florets of cauliflower in water until fork tender. Drain the water. Puree the cauliflower in a blender. Add in up to a cup of water while pureeing. Make a fine paste. Set aside.
3. In a wide skillet, Add in couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a pan, Add the chopped garlic and a teaspoon of dried Italian herb mixture.
4. Once the garlic starts to brown, Add in the onions and the veggies. I used zucchini, carrots and peas. Add in a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, soy sauce and sugar. Saute until the vegetables are AL-dente.
5. Once the veggies are cooked, add in the cauliflower puree, red bell peppers, pasta and the juice of a lemon. Stir well for a minute. Remove from heat.

• Author: kannamma @kannammacooks.com
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Pasta
• Cuisine: Italian

• 250 grams Penne Pasta
• 300 grams cauliflower
• 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb mixture (Any store-bought variety is fine)
• 4 cloves garlic chopped fine
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 1/2 cup peas
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 medium zucchini peeled and diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

For the Garnish

• 1/4 cup fresh coarse bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Boil about 8-10 florets of cauliflower in water until fork tender. Drain the water. Puree the cauliflower in a blender. Add in up to a cup of water while pureeing. Make a fine paste. Set aside.
3. In a wide skillet, Add in couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a pan, Add the chopped garlic and a teaspoon of dried Italian herb mixture.
4. Once the garlic starts to brown, Add in the onions and the veggies. I used zucchini, carrots and peas. Add in a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, soy sauce and sugar. Saute until the vegetables are AL-dente.
5. Once the veggies are cooked, add in the cauliflower puree, red bell peppers, pasta and the juice of a lemon. Stir well for a minute. Remove from heat.

• Author: kannamma @kannammacooks.com
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Pasta
• Cuisine: Italian

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/vegan-pasta-verdure/

Baked Samosas, Lite Baked Samosas Recipe.

Baked Samosas – The lite version of the traditional oil laden samosas with step by step pictures. Recipe adapted from the cook book of the food network star: Aarti Paarti: An American Kitchen with an Indian Soul.

If there is something I really miss in India, it got to be the food network. I watched the whole sixth season of the next food network star for one cute contestant called Aarti Sequeira. It was 5 years back. I would record it in my DVR and see it at night after putting my toddler to sleep. It was my way to relax. She was just so humble and cute and cooked great food. I was so happy for her when she went on to win that season. This recipe is from her new cookbook which rocks.

Aarti Paarti: An American Kitchen with an Indian Soul

The Filling: The original recipe uses a meat filling but I did a veggie filling. This is how I do the filling. In a saute pan, add a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is shimmering add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and minced ginger. When the seeds splutter, add the onions and saute till soft and translucent. When the onions are cooked, add in half a teaspoon each of salt, turmeric and garam masala. Add in the green chillies if using. Saute briefly for half a minute. Add in the boiled potatoes and peas and mix well. Add the chopped coriander leaves/cilantro. Remove from heat and when the mixture is cool enough to handle, make 8 balls. Set aside. For the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, yogurt, oil, salt and ajwain seeds. Bring the ingredients together until a dough forms. Knead until it has softened a bit, about 5 minutes. Allow to rest, at room temperature, for 15 minutes. Roll the dough into a short cylinder. Slice in half, then slice each half into 2 pieces, so you have 4 bits. Roll each bit into a ball. Flatten the balls into discs then, on a floured surface, roll them into a 1/8-inch thick, 7-inch wide circles. Cut in half to form 2 semicircles.Put the filling in the center of a semicircle. Have a small bowl of water handy. Dip your finger in the water and run it along the edges of the semicircle. Arrange the samosas so the flat side is facing away from you. Grab the right corner and fold it over the dough in a triangular motion, so that this corner lands on the bottom left side of the filling. Do the same with the other corner. Squeeze bottom shut, and fold over, sealing with water. If you like, seal using a fork. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Arrange the 8 samosas on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake for 200 C for 20-25 minutes.

For the filling

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 250 grams potatoes – boiled and coarsely mashed
• 1/2 cup peas – boiled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon green chillies, minced (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
• 1/2 of a lime, juiced

Homemade Samosa Pastry

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
• 1/4 cup plain curd / yogurt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ajwain seeds, optional

1. In a saute pan add a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is shimmering add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and ginger.
2. When the seeds splutter, add the onions and saute till soft and translucent. When the onions are cooked add in half a teaspoon each of salt,turmeric and garam masala. Add in the green chillies if using. Saute briefly for half a minute.
3. Add in the boiled potatoes and peas and mix well.
4. Add the chopped coriander leaves/cilantro. Remove from heat and when the mixture is cool enough to handle, make 8 balls. Set aside.
5. For the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, yogurt, oil, salt and ajwain seeds. Bring the ingredients together until a dough forms. Knead until it has softened a bit, about 5 minutes. Allow to rest, at room temperature, for 15 minutes.
6. Roll the dough into a short cylinder. Slice in half, then slice each half into 2 pieces, so you have 4 bits. Roll each bit into a ball.
7. Flatten the balls into discs then, on a floured surface, roll them into a 1/8-inch thick, 7-inch wide circles. Cut in half to form 2 semicircles.Put the filling in the center of a semicircle. Have a small bowl of water handy. Dip your finger in the water and run it along the edges of the semicircle. Arrange the samosas so the flat side is facing away from you. Grab the right corner and fold it over the dough in a triangular motion, so that this corner lands on the bottom left side of the filling. Do the same with the other corner. Squeeze bottom shut, and fold over, sealing with water. If you like, seal using a fork. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Arrange the 8 samosas on a lightly greased baking sheet.
8. Bake for 200 C for 20-25 minutes.
9. Serve hot.

Notes

After filling the dough with the potato mixture and sealing it, place it on a plate and keep in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then transfer the raw samosas to zip tote bags and freeze them for up to a month. Thaw them and bake as mentioned above.

• Author: [email protected]
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Category: Snacks
• Cuisine: Indian