vegan pasta recipe

Creamy Vegan Pasta Dinner for the Whole Family!

I know through my years of being in the vegan community that not having easy, family-friendly vegan recipes can turn people off to this lifestyle and cause overwhelm for new vegans. That’s exactly why I centered my live demo around this meal–an easy, one-pot, delicious, creamy pasta that the entire family will love.

If you’d like to see this recipe in visual form, watch it step by step in this video:

Let’s get started with making this creamy pasta with vegan sausage, spinach, mushrooms, and bell pepper.

Ingredients

  • 4 vegan sausage links of choice (I used field roast sausage)*

  • 1 tbsp oil (avocado oil is great)

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 5 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped

  • 2 tsp Dash garlic & herb 

  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 2 teaspoon salt

  • 8 oz bella mushrooms, chopped

  • 3 cups vegetable broth

  • 2 cans full fat coconut milk 

  • 1 lb farfalle/ bowtie pasta

  • 2 tsp garlic powder

  • Salt to taste

*Note: If you’ve tried a vegan sausage that you didn’t like, don’t let it stop you from trying others! These days there are so many vegan products with different qualities and flavors. For sausage, I like Field Roast, Beyond Sausage, Impossible, and Jack & Annies.

Instructions

  1. Sautee the sausage for 5 mins on medium heat in a large skillet, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick. Set aside for later.

  2. Add your chopped onion, garlic, and bell pepper to the skillet and saute for about 5 minutes.

  3. Add your spices and salt, stir.

  4. Stir in your mushrooms and cook down for about 6 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally.

  5. Mix in your vegetable broth and coconut milk, bring to a boil

  6. Once at a boil, add your box of pasta and additional spices and herbs.

  7. Cover, reduce heat and let set for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  8. Mix in three handfuls of spinach and cook it down

  9. At this time, if you need more liquid, add in more vegetable broth 1 tablespoon at a time

  10. Optional: make a quick vegan parmesan 

    • In a food processor, combine nutritional yeast with roasted cashews and salt, pulse till you achieve your desired texture.

  11. Plate and enjoy!

If you tried this recipe, please let me know what you thought and if your whole family enjoyed this. Will you be adding this to the weeknight meal rotation? 

And if you are looking for more accessible vegan recipes, tips for going and staying vegan, and overall health and wellness content, don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter.

Chickpea Mac Recipe-Budget & Kid-Friendly

All or nothing? How do you feel about that? For me, I think most lasting changes occur when we make smart, daily decisions that compound over time. I feel the same way about vegan eating.  I was a vegetarian for 2 years before deciding that vegan eating is best for me and my family. It took time for me to make that change.

What steps will you take consistently to change the way you eat over the next year? Will you skip the drive-thru of chicken sandwiches and fries for a homemade meal at home this week? Will you switch out your dairy milk for soy and/ or almond milk instead?

If you're conscious about those decisions, I promise you will change the way you eat for the better. Don't bet yourself up! Just be intentional about your meal planning, experiment and enjoy the journey.

Start with this quick and delicious chickpea mac. Everyone loves a budget-friendly meal and being kid-friendly is an awesome bonus. Let me know what you think once you try this recipe.

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I really miss listening to music on Pandora and YouTube at home. It sure was awesome background noise while I cooked. Instead of posting the song I'm listening to while cooking (like I did a lot early last year), I will start posting the book I'm reading on recipe posts.

Currently Reading: The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

Thanks for reading!

Watch the YouTube video for this recipe below....

Chickpea Mac

by Brown Vegan

Keywords: vegan

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • 8 oz elbow macaroni
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or vegan margarine
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • (1) 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • (1) 15 oz can chickpeas drained & rinsed
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook macaroni according to the directions on the label.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet with oil on medium heat and saute the onion for 9 minutes.

Add in the garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder and black pepper and cook for 1 minute.

Then add in the crushed tomatoes and chickpeas, reduce the heat to med-lo and simmer for 5 minutes.

Drain the pasta and mix it in with the chickpea mixture.

Finally, mix in the parsley and serve.

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What's for Dinner? Creamy Vegan Sausage & Kale Pasta

It's been way too long since I've made a cooking video on my YouTube channel.  I finally got motivated to film yesterday and plan to get back into the full swing in the coming weeks.

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I pulled together an awesome skillet meal heavily inspired by this creamy pasta recipe from Divas Can Cook.  Instead of using heavy cream and cheese I opted for canned coconut to give the pasta a delicious and creamy texture. You don't have to worry about an overwhelming coconut flavor in this recipe. I also used vegan sausage to make this meal completely plant-based, simple and delicious.

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Why eat Hamburger Helper when you can put together a healthier skillet meal in less time?

My family approved of this meal and I know yours will too. Send me a picture on Twitter or Instagram when you make this dish. :-) 

Vegan Sausage & Kale Pasta

by Brown Vegan

Ingredients (Serves 6)

  • 3 cups mini bow-tie pasta, uncooked
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for sautéing)
  • ½ cup red onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 4 vegan sausage links (I use Field Roast), chopped
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • ½ cup canned coconut milk (add more, if necessary)
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
  • 2 cups raw kale, steams removed & ripped into bite-sized pieces
  • salt & pepper to taste (I add mine at the end)

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, add in pasta and cook until al dente.

In a large skillet, sauté onion and garlic on medium heat until the onion is soft. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes. Next add in vegan sausage and tomato and warm together for about 3 minutes. Then stir in coconut milk and parsley and cook for 2 minutes. Mix in pasta and kale and finish cooking for 3-4 minutes medium heat.

Optional: Add in more coconut milk to make a creamier sauce

Season with salt and pepper if necessary

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