In collaboration with Explore Cuisine
I could happily eat pasta every day of the week… but sadly, I don’t. It is fairly well documented these days that eating more protein and fewer carbohydrates is better for our health, and for vegans in particular, packing meals with protein is an important but sometimes tricky thing to do.
So I read with interest an e-mail from the nice people at Explore Cuisine about their range of pasta made from beans, chickpeas and lentils instead of wheat, which means they are packed with protein and fibre. Their pasta is all vegan and organic, (and gluten-free too) – it’s a pasta no-brainer, especially for vegans.
The range includes green lentil lasagne, chickpea fusilli, dramatically dark black bean spaghetti, and even edamame and mung bean fettuccine. There are just so many different shapes, flavours and recipe ideas that you could eat these a lot and never get bored!
And what’s more, they taste great too. I was sceptical that they would be able to recreate the texture of my beloved pasta given that they were made from such different ingredients, but every one I have tried so far has had a really good ‘bite’ and a good but not overpowering flavour. I do find that they fill me up a lot and I often eat a smaller portion than I would of ‘normal’ pasta, but to me that’s a bonus!
My ‘Super-Greens’ vegan spaghetti sauce recipe is a slightly ‘saucier’ version of a pea pesto. Peas are little nutritional powerhouses, packed with protein and vitamins. Along with spinach, lemon, pine nuts, basil and mint, this simple pasta supper becomes a delicious and comforting bowl of goodness.
Don’t forget to pin the recipe for later, or to share with friends → → → → →
You might like to take a look at my Vegan 20 Minute Meals Index for lots more delicious and speedy vegan meals!
Do send me pictures of your very own super-greens vegan spaghetti sauce on:
tagging me @thevegspace or using the hashtag #thevegspace to show me how you got on!
Super Greens Vegan Spaghetti Sauce: Equipment and Shopping List
You will need:
- 2 saucepans
- Colander or sieve
- Blender, food processor or hand blender
Shopping List:
- baby spinach
- fresh basil
- fresh mint
- lemon
- frozen peas
- garlic purée / ready-chopped garlic
- pine nuts
- Explore Cuisine Edamame Spaghetti (or your pasta of choice)
A bright green vegan spaghetti sauce, made from peas, spinach, basil and mint, lemon and pine nuts. Blitzed together in the time it takes your spaghetti to cook - the speediest of meals!
- 1 cup frozen peas (no need to measure, about a small mug full)
- handful baby spinach
- handful fresh basil
- handful fresh mint
- 1 lemon
- 1 tsp ready-chopped garlic / garlic purée
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 box Explore Cuisine Edamame Spaghetti
Bring 2 saucepans of water to the boil (1 large-ish, and 1 small). Add the spaghetti to one, and the peas to the other.
When the peas are cooked (about 4 minutes), drain and tip into a blender or food processor, but set aside a few tablespoons to serve whole. Add to the blender the spinach, basil, mint, juice of the lemon, garlic and pine nuts, then blitz until smooth. Add some water, a little at a time, until it reaches a sauce-like consistency. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as required.
When the spaghetti has cooked, drain it, then return it to the saucepan. Pour in the sauce, return the pan to a gentle heat and mix well to combine as the sauce warms through. Serve immediately scattered with the remaining peas.
There are plenty of quick and easy vegan recipes in my new book, ‘Vegan in 15‘*. Hop over to Amazon for a look. Thanks for your support!
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I’m linking this vegan spaghetti sauce recipe with some blogging challenges:
CookBlogShare hosted this week by Lost In Food- Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Searching for Spice
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Explore Cuisine, who paid me to develop this recipe. All opinions are my own, there was no expectation of a positive review.
Love the look of this recipe, but nine ads in this post all for the same product?! Really?!
Hi Hannah, sorry you don’t like the ads – its the only way I can earn money from my blog in order to keep spending the time and money I do to keep it going. The alternative is charging my readers a subscription to get my recipes, and I think most would prefer to scroll past a few ads instead but thanks for the feedback. Kate
Hello, the ads don’t bother me at all. I really think it is fair that you try to get some money in exchange for creating such a useful resource for vegan products. Thumbs up!
Will definitely give this one a shot – and one day I will probably buy your book as well!
Keep it going!
Thanks Anders!