Miso Pasta with Summer Squash

This creamy, miso-flavored pasta pairs perfectly with tender summer squash with notes of garlic, thyme, and cheese. Dinner is done in the time it takes to boil the noodles.

Miso: more than just soup. I don't know about you, but I put miso in errrything. Salty, umami, earthy, probioticy (it's a word now!)... miso's got all the goodness going on. I prefer the dark or red miso as I find it to be the most flavorful. However, if you're new to miso try the mellower yellow one. Once you start putting it in dishes and sauces, you'll never stop. It's a great alternative to salt, anchovies, parmesan, or feta flavors.

Did you know miso makes a wonderful pasta sauce as well? Oh yes, my friends. This is a super quick and easy weeknight meal that everyone will love and even sneaks in veggies too (like all that squash from the garden). I hope you'll love it as much as Todd and I did; it'll be a new staple in our house for sure!

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”

— Barack Obama

Miso Pasta with Summer Squash

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 06/17/2016

This creamy, miso-flavored pasta pairs perfectly with tender summer squash with notes of garlic, thyme, and cheese. Dinner is done in the time it takes to boil the noodles!

Ingredients

• 1 lb spaghetti, dry
• 3 tbsp vegan stick butter
• 3 medium summer squash or zucchini, quartered and sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp red miso paste
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegan worcheshire sauce (check the store-brand)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp large-flake nutritional yeast

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook according to package, until al dente. Before draining reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and return to pot.
2. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the squash and saute for 5 minutes before adding garlic; saute an additional 10 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the squash is just tender but not overcooked. Remove from heat.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the miso through the thyme. Add the cooked noodles to the sauteed squash and stir in the sauce and reserved pasta water until well coated. Stir in the nutritional yeast and serve hot.

Yield: 6

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Healthier Avocado Vodka 'Cream' Pasta + Classico Riserva Giveaway

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Classico Riserva for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

A healthy and modern twist on traditional vodka cream pasta. Avocado stands in for heavy cream, smokey TVP packs a vegan protein punch, and swiss chard gives itself for a nutritional boost. This pasta is everything; creamy, meaty, cheesy, and so darn delicious. Whips up in the time it takes to boil the noodles!

I just love it when a recipe comes together so, so perfectly. Todd adores vodka cream pasta. Me? Not so much. It's always been way too heavy for me and let's be real, it's obviously not that nutritious; heavy cream, cheese, vodka, and ground meat... it makes my arteries wanna clog up just thinking about it!

It was time something had to be done about this. So, I created my own version! In this healthier take on vodka cream pasta, I use avocado instead of heavy cream, TVP instead of oily ground meat, and added an entire bunch of swiss chard for a boost of nutrition. I couldn't believe what a couple wonderful, creamy avocados could do to kick heavy dairy to the curb. This will definitely be a staple in our house. I'm telling you, wonderful things happen when you have two aging avocados mingling about in your fridge. 

A couple jars of Classico Riserva pasta sauce were eyeing me from the pantry and I knew I wanted to do something fun with them. They Riserva sauce line is free from artificial ingredients and added sugars! I wanted to create a dish that was as sophisticated and delicious as this thick and savory pasta sauce itself and a vodka 'cream' sauce was just the ticket.

Riserva comes in five, slow-simmered flavors: Arrabiata, Roasted Garlic, Marinara, Eggplant Artichoke, and Puttanesca. Perhaps the greatest thing about the new Riserva line (besides everything else I've already listed) is that all the flavors are totally vegan. Yay!! Usually I have to scour the ingredient lists (which is always lengthy for some reason) on the back of pasta sauce jars, but not with Riserva! In addition, these sauces only contains a few ingredients, as they should. 

I'm also hosting a giveaway for three full-price coupons for this new sauce. Tell me in the comments what dish you'd like to make with Classico Riserva to be entered to win. Winners will be drawn at random and will close on 6.6.16 at noon EST. Open to U.S. only. Thank you, Classico Riserva for sponsoring this post! Open up a bottle of the good stuff! *** This giveaway is no CLOSED, thank you!***

Healthier Avocado Vodka 'Cream' Pasta

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 05/20/2016

A healthy and modern twist on traditional vodka cream pasta. Avocado stands in for heavy cream, smokey TVP packs a vegan protein punch, and swiss chard gives itself for a nutritional boost. This pasta is everything; creamy, meaty, cheesy, and so darn delicious. Whips up in the time it takes to boil the noodles!

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta of choice (I like penne ), dry
• ⅓ cup vodka
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 28 oz jar of Classico Riserva pasta sauce
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp liquid smoke
• 2 ripe avocados, pitted
• ½ cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
• ½ cup vegan shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
• 1 bunch of chard, destemmed and chopped

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat for the pasta. Cook according to package until al dente, about 9 minutes; drain and return to pot.
2. While the pasta boils, simmer the vodka in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until it’s reduced by half.
3. Add the pasta sauce, nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, and avocados to a blender; blend on high until completely smooth. Transfer to the reduced vodka and stir in the tvp. Cover and simmer an additional 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chard to wilt; cover and continue to simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Over low heat, stir the sauce into the pasta to combine. Stir in the cheese ; serve hot.

Yield: 6

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An INSANE New Cooking Adventure?? + Fettuccine w/ Baked Tofu, Zucchini, & Burst Cherry Tomatoes

A lovely and light spring dish, this meal is heavy on the protein thanks to savory tofu. Sauteed zucchini and burst cherry tomatoes lend their own delicious juices to create a fresh sauce for the fettucine. This pasta is simple, healthy, and quick enough for a weeknight.

“The best advice I’ve ever received is ‘No one else knows what they’re doing either’”

— Ricky Gervais

So, something insane happened two days ago. It's hard for me to even put into words how out-of-this-world the last couple days have been. Here goes; I got an email from a production company that wanted to interview Todd and I for... something... #ImNotAllowedToSay but it's like the pinnacle of anything ever to do with cooking and the public.

It has to do with big-time, super-popular, national, errrybody is watching it type television thing. It's the most crazy, surreal thing that has literally every happened to me. This company discovered me because of my cookbook and they will be submitting my interview (and several others) to the network in less than one week for said opportunity. That's really all I'm allowed to divulge (I asked if I could share the news because I'm totally freaking out right now!!!) I. CAN'T. EVEN. YOU GUYS!

I don't know if I'll get the gig, they have other folks they interviewed as well, but I think I might just implode if they do choose me. But in the best way possible of course. No matter what happens I am super stoked to have even been approached! I'll keep you all posted!

Mind blowing and world-shattering, but in a good way! I wish I could tell you more!!! I feel like I'm living someone else's life right now. On another note, I'd love to send you all some signed bookplates! They are incredibly beautiful; you can see one here. All you need to do is send me a link or photo to your completely unbiased review of my cookbook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indigo Books, or wherever, etc. along with your mailing address!

I've been in a little bit of shock for a few days so easy recipes are what I need. My brain is in overload, which means I'm keeping it real with this scrumptious spring-time pasta. I think you'll love it! 

Fettuccine w/ Baked Tofu, Zucchini, & Burst Cherry Tomatoes

By Kathleen Henry @ Produce On Parade

Published 05/13/2016

A lovely and light spring dish, this meal is heavy on the protein thanks to savory tofu. Sauteed zucchini and burst cherry tomatoes lend their own delicious juices to create a fresh sauce for the fettucine. This pasta is simple, healthy, and quick enough for a weeknight.

Ingredients

• 1 lb fettuccine pasta, dry
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ large yellow onion, sliced
• dash of crushed red pepper, to taste
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 oz baked flavored firm tofu, diced (I like Wildwoods Savory)
• 1 tbsp dried basil or ¼ cup fresh basil
• 1 cup fresh beet greens, spinach, or baby kale, chopped
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• sprinkling of vegan parmesan, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook for about 5 minutes (half of the cooking time), then drain the pasta and return to the pot.
2. In the meantime, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large frying pan. Add the onion and crushed red pepper; saute for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and tender. Stir in the zucchini and tomatoes and increase the heat to medium; saute an additional 10-15 minutes until the pasta is done cooking and the zucchini is tender, but not over cooked. Remove from heat and stir in the tofu, basil, and greens.
3. Once the pasta is done cooking and has been returned to the pot, stir in the vegetable broth. Cook over medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes until most of the broth has been absorbed and the noodles are al dente. Add additional broth or water if the noodles are still undercooked.
4. Stir the vegetable mixture with all its juices into the pasta to combine. Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving hot. Garnish with vegan parmesan.

Yield: 6

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Keep your fingers crossed for me the next couple weeks!