Pasta Redux

As a follow-up to our facebook posting, here is the recipe for our new, improved, just as yummy, if not yummier, healthier "Loaded Picatta Pasta" dish . . .

Some of you may remember my recipe I posted for Tofu Picatta. I have such a thing for lemony buttery sauces!
Anyway, I decided to play with that sauce a bit one evening and came up with a simple wonderful pasta dish loaded with veggies and of course, drenched in that delicious sauce. 

 And then there was this one, made with a simpler lemon-butter sauce (vegan margarine, lemon juice and seasoned with pink sea salt and pepper).

That was almost a year ago. 

In that time, I've broadened my culinary horizons and learned so much.  
One of the areas I've acquired more knowledge (and some beginning skill) is in the area of  "raw food living".  Though this dish would not be considered a raw dish it was inspired by the raw food revolution and a lot of it's components follow the idea that the less time a food is cooked (altered) the closer to it's natural state remains and the more alive it is, the more beneficial nutrients it provides.  I like to think that being someone who has always preferred my veggies be "al dente" this is not such a new approach to me.  

So with that being said, here is what I did to give this dish a new take.

*I don't list the actual measurements for this dish as it is entirely up to you how loaded you care to make it. The more veggies the better, I say but it's totally up to you. 

Here are the veggie options I used in my topping:

Garlic, onion (both red and sweet white), sweet red pepper, capers, sundried tomatoes (I use natural dehydrated not jarred), artichoke hearts, butter beans and fresh julienned spinach. 

THE PASTA:

Before we begin our topping/sauce we will need to prepare our "pasta".

My mom (who happens to live with us and is herself a fantastic personal chef) just recently invested in one of these nifty gadgets . . .

I highly suggest, if you do not already have one, to invest in one. It turned three zucchinis into pasta enough for four of us!

*NOTE- If you do not have one, I would think that spaghetti squash would be an excellent option: 

Prepare spaghetti squash by cutting it in half lengthwise, scooping out the seeds and then either boiling or baking the halves until they’re tender. To bake it, brush with a bit of olive oil and cook rind side up for 30 to 40 minutes at 375 F. Scrape a fork across the flesh to separate it into strands.  Voila!

THE VEGGIES:

Just as in the original, start with sauteeing your onion, red pepper and garlic in a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat, adding a bit of water (one tbsp.at a time) if necessary to keep your veggies from sticking to the pan.  

Once the onions begin to carmelize, toss in your capers and sundried tomatoes (I'd say anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 a cup) and sautee for a minute or two. Turn off the heat and set aside.

THE SAUCE:

Prepare your sauce just as you do in this recipe HERE>

NOTE: in this variation the sauce will be made without the capers.

Add your artichoke hearts and butter beans to the pan and fold them into the sauce but do not heat. Lastly fold in your raw spinach and give a light stir to wilt.

Steam your zucchini pasta for no more than a minute or two just to slightly tenderize it.  Remove from the steamer basket or pan and plate.  

Top your pasta with the veggie/sauce mixture and prepare to DIG IN!

I also sprinkled a bit of "raw-mesan" on top.  My friends Dayna and Christina, aka the Rawk Stars, are a dynamic raw food duo.  This delicious raw vegan parmesan cheese substitute is theirs.  Made from raw cashews, fresh garlic and a bit of sea salt. 

(CHECK OUT THEIR PAGE FOR MORE "RAW-SPIRATION HERE )

As always,

LOVE and LIGHT,

Amber

**I served this dish with a side of millet-falafel bread. Another of my favorite recipes from the It's All Good cookbook by Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Turshen.