Pasta Reborn

I come back to you with two wonderful pasta recipes. Since cutting dairy out of my diet I've been missing the texture of yummy creamy sauces - so with a little thinking I came up with these recipes. They're all mine, all vegan. Opposite to what you might think a vegan diet has been the most freeing and stimulating experience. It has enabled me to change the way I think about food - it has also allowed me to be highly creative in the kitchen. I'm loving it. I challenge you to try one of these recipes - you might be stepping out of your comfort zone but who knows you just might like the view.

Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta

4 or 5 stalks of asparagus
1/3 or so of a leek
2 cloves of garlic
As much or as little of the following mushrooms:
-button
-shiitake
-maitake
About 1/4 cup of soya milk*
White pepper** and salt to taste
Olive Oil

*The success of the recipes depends on the taste of the soya milk - try to buy one whose only ingredient is soya beans and water. Any additional flavouring may alter the taste of the sauce.
**White pepper has a very distinct flavour that works well with this particular recipe so go ahead, give it a whirl.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic. Then add the veggies - stir fry until they're tender. Add the soya milk. Sprinkle with white pepper and some salt.

I usually make this with bowtie pasta.

Sorry I can't be more specific with the ingredients - usually I add enough soya milk to just cover the bottom of the pan.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

The preparation needed for this recipe is well worth the effort! I was so happy with the result that I brought a bowl of it over to my neighbour - sometimes I need validation. Katrina is usually my sounding board.

A half of a steamed 'kabocha' (a winter squash)
1 1/2 cup of soya milk
1 tbsp of ground rosemary
1/3 cup of ground walnuts
2 cloves of garlic, minced
A half an onion
Spinach
Miatake
Tomato, Carrot, Spinach flavoured macaroni
Olive Oil

While steaming the kabocha, ground the rosemary and blend the walnuts in a blender. Set them aside in seperate bowls. After the kabocha is finished, peel the skin off, cut it into junks and blend it together with the soya milk in a blender or food processor. Add the rosemary and give the mixture another whirl in the blender.

While you're chopping the vegetables, cook your pasta.

Then in a pan, heat the oil and add the garlic and onions. Once the onions are translucent add the spinach and maitake. When the viggies are finished, add the pumpkin soya milk mixture to the pan and allow it to heat through. Finally, add the macaroni.

Serve it immidiately garnished with the blended walnuts.

Right so this recipe may seem ambitious but just remember that I did this in a kitchen that is smaller than a closet - with only one gas burner at my disposal and virtually no counter space to speak of. If you have a big kitchen, I hate you and you have no excuse to not try this recipe!