Today I have a lovely little guest post recipe for you all, with the colder weather setting in, this is a great autumn warmer for you and the family to try! :)
There are so many nutritious, healthy and delectable dishes throughout the world. Travelling not only lets you take away experiences from different cultures but it also allows you to try different foods that you otherwise might not have tried, from Japan’s healthy sushi options all the way to Italy’s hearty alternatives.
Delving further into Italian food – Neapolitan food for example can be traced back over 2,800 years to the 8th century BC. Back then, there wasn’t much money around, of course – however, the locals still managed to have a nutritious diet, packed full of goodness!
It’s with this in mind that I have decided to share a must-try vegan pasta dish with you. Before we begin, though – it’s worth highlighting a few facts about why vegan dishes are always a great choice. First and foremost – they’re the healthy choice. Want to avoid saturated fats, and all kinds of other dietary nasties? Then freshly prepared vegan food is the perfect way to go. And don’t just take my word for it – a vegan diet lowers heart disease risks for those who choose it. Coronary heart disease is an illness which affects millions of people around the world – and it continues to be the leading cause of death in the UK and worldwide.
So, if you want to ditch the meat and dairy in place of a plant-based diet (as well as follow in the footsteps of Beyonce, Ellie Goulding or Jennifer Lopez) then why not start with this tasty dish below?
Spaghetti aglio e oglio with sun dried tomatoes
Ingredients – (serves 2)
250g of good quality dried pasta
4 cloves of garlic
1/2tsp flaked chilli or 1 small fresh chilli (chopped)
Extra virgin olive oil (best quality you can afford)
Handful of fresh parsley
Sun dried tomatoes in oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Get the water up to a good rolling boil and add three to four twists of salt. This may sound like a lot but most of it stays in the water, and a little of it seasons the pasta as it cooks. Add the pasta to the water. Cook for the time it says on the packet – or slightly less if you want it to be perfectly al dente. Appliances vary though so it’s best to check on the pasta every few minutes to see how it’s doing.
Meanwhile, chop your garlic cloves finely. Get a good liberal glug or three of olive oil into a frying pan, and drop the garlic in. (Make sure it doesn’t burn because if it does then it can taste bitter and have a bark-like consistency). Chop 6 sun dried tomatoes into smallish chunks and add to the pan long enough for them to heat through.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and return to the pan, then add the olive oil and garlic, swirling the saucepan around to mix everything together. The pasta should have a nice golden sheen.
When mixed, transfer to pasta bowls and top the dish off with some parsley. Just tear it straight off, as chopping it will make the fibres bleed and it won’t have such a great fresh taste.
Pasta of course doesn’t need to be consumed hot – and I find that whole wheat fusilli make a great ingredient in salad. Try mixing some of the cooked (and cooled) fusilli with raw baby plum tomatoes, pumpkin seeds and lemon juice – just a little pepper to season, and it’s a bowl of tasty delight.
More inspiration...
Another inspiration comes from the cousin of pasta – the whole wheat noodle. I haven’t patented this (nor would I) but I am pretty pleased with the idea – I call it a stir no-fry.
Here’s how it works - buy the thinnest, highest quality available. Cook as instructed, and now the fun bit. You drain the noodles, put them back in the pan (off the heat) and add in your favorite raw goodies, here are some inspirations:
Zucchini (or courgette depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on). Surprisingly tasty. Slice them up into matchsticks, and scatter them atop the noodles.
Avocado – this is the one raw food that just cannot be beaten for taste. I am obsessed with this stuff. Get a perfectly ripe avocado, peel, stone and cut into chunks. Perfect in a stir no-fry!
Onion. The trick with raw onion is to be judicious in terms of the amount you use. A little bit of onion adds a springy, enjoyable flavor. Too much onion and it can overpower the dish.
Garlic. Again, be sparing. Raw garlic in small amounts tickles the palate. Too much raw garlic and, well – you may have tears in your eyes.
Carrot and celery – a perfect pair, especially when cut very small, and mixed. A raw soffritto – life-affirmingly fresh, and just right in a dish with some of the above ingredients.
