Pasta. Who doesn’t love a good pasta dish? Whether it’s something simple like spaghetti or a more complicated pasta recipe, it is the great unifier. Well, except for one of my closest friends who oddly doesn’t like pasta. We’re not talking about her, we talking about the rest of us.
What’s your go to pasta dish? Honestly, I don’t have one. I like pretty much all types of pasta but something like Diavolo that’s spicy is more up my alley. But give me a creamy vodka sauce and I’m happy too.
Today I have two easy vegan pasta recipes to share with you. One I made and one the Hubs made, but both are simple and delicious.
The first dish is his and it is a homemade red sauce with vegan meatballs and elbow pasta.
Ingredients: Pasta, onion, garlic, bell peppers, crushed or chop tomatoes, oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil & vegan meatballs.
That’s a pretty short ingredient list, right? It’s a basic sauce but it’s the herbs & spices that really bring it to life. In this type of pasta dish, dry herbs can do a lot of the heavy lifting but if you have fresh herbs, use’em!
Make the sauce and drop the vegan meatballs in, simmering until warmed through. Add the pasta, stir and serve.
Easy peasy, right?
My dish is Squash-a-roni & No Cheese! You see what I did there? It’s a basic vegan mac & cheese except there’s no cheese, but instead butternut squash!
Ingredients: Butternut squash, pasta, onion, garlic, almond milk (unsweetened), parsnip, red pepper paste & nutritional yeast.
Roast the squash & parsnip and let cool before you add to a food processor along with sauteed (or even better caramelized) onion & garlic. Run until smooth. Add pepper paste, plant milk & nutritional yeast and stir until everything is blended. Add in cooked pasta and gobble it up.
You can also add toppings to enhance this dish: nuts, fried onions, breadcrumbs or your favorite vegan cheese.
We made each of these dishes weeks apart but it just goes to show that you can have plain ol’ pasta without getting bored of pasta. In our house you’ll never hear someone say, “Pasta again?”
The Spicy Spatula 
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