Vegan Emerald Spaghetti

 

We could not ignore how good this would be without the inclusion of animal product...

We made a version of this that... We knew had to immediately be adapted to vegan and vegetarian peoples. And below is that version. Instead of boring you with a long drawn out post that muses over the food to give some background... The intent here speaks for itself. Below is our rendition of a vegetarian/vegan version of our Emerald Spaghetti. We recommend not even worrying about incorporating vegan meat into it- but we're happy if you decide to do so! We cook together. This dish represents that.

If it feels good... Cook it.

Vegan Emerald Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 1 lb your favorite long pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, angel hair, etc.)

• 1 lb plant-based spicy sausage (such as Beyond Sausage or a similar brand with an Italian or spicy flavor profile), crumbled or sliced (so very optional)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 1 small can sliced mushrooms

• 1 small can black olives

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• Hot pepper of choice to taste, diced (optional)

• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced

• 10 oz fresh baby spinach

• 2-3 cloves garlic

• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

• 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk (from a can) or cashew cream (see end of post)

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, plus more for serving

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• Optional additions: 1/2 cup sliced black olives or 1/4 cup sliced banana peppers

• Optional garnish: Red pepper flakes & fresh parsley

Instructions:

The instructions remain nearly identical, with the plant-based ingredients swapped in.

1. Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add your chosen pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, carefully reserve about 2 cups of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.

2. Sauté Vegan Sausage & Veggies: Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the plant-based sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is nicely browned, about 5-7 minutes. Add the diced onion and bell peppers and continue to sauté for another 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.

3. Create the Emerald Spinach Sauce: While the sausage and veggies cook, prepare the sauce. Blanch the fresh spinach in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then immediately plunge it into an ice water bath. Once cool, squeeze out as much excess water as possible.

4. Blend the Sauce: Transfer the blanched spinach to a blender. Add the garlic cloves, full-fat coconut milk (or cashew cream), and nutritional yeast. Blend on high until completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Combine and Finish: Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet with the vegan sausage and pepper mixture. Pour the emerald spinach sauce over the top. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir vigorously over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce becomes creamy and coats the noodles. Fold in any optional additions. (You can also keep the noodles separate entirely like we do over here.)

6. Serve: Divide the pasta among bowls. Top with extra nutritional yeast (for a cheesy flavor reminiscent of parmesan) and a sprinkle of fresh parsley or red pepper flakes, if desired.

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*Recipe Note on Cashew Cream: To make cashew cream, soak 1/2 cup of raw cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes (or overnight in cold water). Drain the cashews and blend them with 1/4 cup of fresh water until completely smooth and creamy. This creates a wonderfully neutral-flavored cream alternative.