easy and fast tuesday night dinner specials
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| easy and fast tuesday night dinner specials |
easy and fast tuesday night dinner specials: Every year, I help my friend Michelle Schwegmann from the Herbivore Clothing Company sell T-shirts at the N.Y. Vegetarian Festival, and every year, I get to meet some pretty awesome folks. In 2013, Michelle introduced me to Dan and Nicole, the adorable couple who run Upton’s Naturals. We hadn’t used many Upton’s products in the past because they were hard to find in our area, but that’s changed recently—and boy, are we glad it has. Every time I get a chance to try some Upton’s, I half faint from joy. You remember those old Bugs Bunny cartoons when he falls in love and little hearts float up from his chest and his eyes get all swirly? That’s Upton’s and me. It’s firm, flavorful, and versatile enough to work perfectly in a ton of different recipes, including this one. But honestly, this recipe can showcase any vegan Italian sausage, and is easy and fast enough that you can make it, eat it, and have your dishes done in time to watch Supernatural in your pj’s.
MAKES 2 TO 4 SERVINGS
$2.86 PER SERVING
Ingredients for tuesday night dinner specials recipe
- 1 (1-pound) package whole wheat penne
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced defrosted vegan Italian sausage (we recommend Upton’s Italian Seitan, Tofurky Italian Sausage, or Field Roast Italian Sausage)
- 5 Campari or Roma tomatoes, halved
- 5 white mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms, halved
- 1 cup chopped raw spinach leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Vegan Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast, for topping
How to make easy and fast tuesday night dinner specials ?
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare the pasta following the instructions on the package.
While the pasta is cooking, in your deepest saucepan, skillet, or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the vegan Italian sausage and cook, flipping occasionally, until the sausage begins to brown. Add all the remaining ingredients except the vegan Parmesan and cook, mixing gently without squishing the tomatoes.
Drain the pasta. Once the spinach and basil begin to wilt, toss in ⅓ cup of the pasta, mix it in, then add another ⅓ cup pasta. Continue adding and mixing the pasta until you’ve added it all.
You’ll know dinner is ready when the tomatoes are tender, the greens are wilted, and the pasta is coated.
Serve hot, with some vegan Parmesan sprinkled on top.
You can use any leftover fresh basil leaves to make:
Ribollita Soup
Tuscan Eggplant and White Bean Sandwiches
Rustic Pesto and Heirloom Tomato Tart
Spinach and Broccoli Stuffed Shells
DIY Marinara Sauce
Fresh Herb and Heirloom Tomato Salad
