My husband and I have been traveling so much for work lately that our fridge has been fairly bare. I didn’t want to order out and I sure as heck wasn’t going to venture to the grocery store in rush hour with kids in tow to try to put together a family dinner. The alternative? I took a quick look at the few things we had in our fridge and pantry, then threw together a meal on the fly. Sometimes the unplanned really surprises you! It has carbs, is creamy and garlicky, has the brightness of fresh herbs, and the smokiness of roasted tomatoes…so pretty much the best of all worlds. Add some vegan bacon and you’ve got a pasta carbonara! Pair with some garlic bread and you’re in garlic-carb heaven!
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces penne, uncooked
- 6 cups water
- 4 cubes Edward and Sons Not-Chicken Bouillon, (or your favorite bouillon cubes)
- 20 grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4-6 drops liquid smoke
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon earth balance
- 8 cloves garlic, minced (approximately 1 tablespoon chopped)
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 6 cups baby spinach
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Add 6 cups of water and 4 bouillon cubes to a medium pot and bring to a boil. When boiling vigorously, add the pasta and reduce heat to medium low, stirring occasionally.
3. In a medium bowl, toss halved tomatoes in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, liquid smoke, and salt. Once the oven is preheated, place the tomatoes in one layer on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes until they begin to break down, flipping halfway through. Turn the oven to a high broil and brown for 2-4 minutes until a small char is achieved.
4. In a large frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of Earth Balance and increase heat to medium high. Add minced garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add chopped sage, rosemary, and thyme and sauté for another 2 minutes.
5. Monitor pasta to see when the desired texture is achieved then remove from heat. Do not drain. Add 1.5 cups of the boiling broth to the frying pan along with the spinach and nutritional yeast. Sauté until spinach is wilted and the sauce becomes creamy. Remove from heat.
6. Drain the remaining pasta. Add the pasta and roasted tomatoes to the frying pan and toss to coat. Serve.
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture using #gingerveganista on Instagram and tag @TheGingerVeganista or Twitter and tag @GingerVeganista or Facebook and tag The Ginger Veganista. Can’t wait to hear from you!
The Ginger Veganista 