Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Preparing for the Feast (...and a recipe One Pot Vegan Pasta)

I love reading. I love cooking. So, naturally, reading cookbooks is something I wish I have more time to do. Back when I had my first Food Confession blog, I would literally spend an eight to ten hours day just cooking. I would spend hours pouring over not just cookbooks but also the Internet, cooking shows, and any other sources I can get my hands on. So, as I pour over these volumes, I wish I still have that much time to cook and experument. Oh, the woes of having a day job and being responsible!


One of the book I was reading was called Martha Stewart's One Pot Meal. As a busy working woman, I love one pot meals. They're easy and sometimes require very minimal prepping. Because I love vegetables, because I do love vegan food, and because I have a locally sourced produce store down the street from where I live, one recipe stood out to me. This one.

Now, I, being who I am, just could not follow the recipe. I love experimenting, and I love developing flavors. Simplicity is not in my nature. You can, of course, just follow the recipe, and, I'm sure, it will be delicious as simple recipes often are. Or, you can do what I do.

One Pot Meal Vegan Pasta




Ingredients






12 ounces linguine
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
1 onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 sprigs basil, plus torn leaves for garnish
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 1/2 cups water
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving if desired
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Take half of the onions and tomatoes and place them in a sheet pan. Wrap the garlic in tin foil. Place it in the pan with the onions and tomatoes. Place both of them in the oven for about 15 mins. 
Roasting give the vegetables a smoky, nutty flavors that simply boiling them can't bring forth.






3. Now, place them all in a pot, and bring to a boil.
4. Then, reduce to medium heat. Let it go until the pasta is cooked. While cooking, season to taste. 





Note: I didn't have linguine so I used angel hair. It didn't work out well. I think, as a substitute, a heartier pasta like spaghetti might have worked better.
Experiment, and try different things. Let me know what you think.
Happy cooking!