VEGAN SUMMER PASTA

My youngest daughter who is hooked on fast food picked out this recipe and actually enjoyed it! I thought it was delicious and satisfying. Healthy pasta dishes make me happy!

I modified this recipe from “Lazy Cat Kitchen” and doubled it so I could have leftovers.

When you have time, watch this 25 minute lecture by Dr. Neal Barnard of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Vegan Diet or Mediterranean Diet: Which is Healthier?

What I did differently for the ingredients for the regular recipe:

-Used 1/2 of a 17.6 oz bag of penne pasta

-Did not add oil

-Added 1 small sweet onion, cut into chunks

-In addition to a zucchini, added a yellow summer squash

-Minced 3 large cloves of garlic

-Used 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt and 10 grinds of my pepper mill

-Did not peel the tomatoes

-Did not have cherry tomatoes so left them out

-Did not add sugar

-Added 2 large pinches of crushed red pepper flakes

-Could not find charred artichoke hearts. Used 1/2 of a 14 oz can of regular artichoke hearts, drained. I then squeezed out water from the artichokes using my hand and cut them in half

-Sliced kalamata olives were much cheaper; used 5 Tablespoons

-Did not add fresh parsley

-Added the following additional seasonings: 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/2 TBSP Italian seasoning

What I did differently for the method:

-Lined a baking sheet with parchment paper and roasted the onion, zucchini, and squash at 425F degrees for 20 minutes, tossed, then roasted another 15 minutes.

-On the stove I dry sauteed the garlic, adding a splash of water when wanted to stick. Then added the tomatoes and sauteed until they softened. Once oven vegetables were done, I added them and the artichokes to the pot with the tomatoes. I then added the garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning because it needed more spice (now that I know I will add those spices while cooking the tomatoes). Added the olives when I added the pasta.

-Served with vegan Parmesan