Lesson: pastas
Ok this is the lesson all about NOODLES! Exciting!
It is SO EASY to find options right now that are not refined, gluten containing pastas. Like SO EASY. They are everywhere, so in this lesson we’re going to break down ALL the kinds of plant based pastas that are out there, what they are like, and how you can easily cook with them.
You’ll find lots of different kinds of recipes because pasta night does not just have to mean spaghetti anymore! Cold, warm, in soups, in salads, on their own, with added animal protein or left alone, there are a million ways to get busy with pasta!
the noodle options!
4 kinds of pastas: Let’s break this down into basic categories!
Plant based Legume Pastas
Lentil pasta (red/green): I love the brand Tolerant and the Whole Foods 365 label brand
Black Bean pasta: I first found this at Costco, but that’s a lot of pasta! The Explore brand is commonly found
Mung Bean pasta: Made from the mung bean :) also found in Explore brand and I’m sure many others
Chickpea pasta: again we love Tolerant or Whole Foods or Banza
Cauliflower Pasta: I obviously do not make these myself…yet anyhow! But they are another low carb trend, you can find these in the products page section! This is actually a blend of cauliflower flour, pea flour and lentil flour
Plant based Grain Pastas
Quinoa pasta: comes in many shapes, will usually be a blend, not always, just watch for corn as a combo and avoid those.
Rice pasta: can be a blend, or a plain whole rice pasta, read your labels!
A blend of grains: just to reiterate, MANY newer products that came out post the gluten-free era were replacing wheat with CORN, sort of like when the food industry said low fat was what we needed and replaced FAT with SUGAR. Corn, gluten both highly genetically modified foods and the reason we are looking for other options.
Plant based Veggie Pastas
Carrot Noodles: Make your own or buy! I find them frozen at Trader Joe’s, have a sweet taste and work well with red sauces, or even just fresh herbs.
Beet Noodles: I BUY these when I have them, either frozen, or fresh in the ‘paleo’ foods pre-made section at the store. I’m not going to mess around trying to spiral beets!
Spaghetti Squash: That smaller sized yellow squash usually near the other butternut or acorn squashes. This one you need to bake/roast or put in the crockpot and then scoop the ‘noodles’ out. Amazing for a spaghetti sub or even leftover in cold salads.
Zucchini Noodles: The very popular zucchini noodles, I think they are a favorite because you find them all over now, pre-made for you fresh (and now I find them frozen as well but I don’t LOVE that option as far as how well they cook). Also super easy to spiral your own and save $$$ because zucchini are not too hard and the noodles turn out really easily.
Yellow Squash Noodles: You don’t see these NEARLY everywhere like zucchini although I don’t know WHY because they literally have the same texture, same firmness, and taste the same to me. I use these at home with my own spiralizer.
Cucumber Noodles: Really fun for cold salads or pasta salads. I recommend ENGLISH cucumbers for noodles so you aren’t messing with loads of seeds and extra moisture inside.
Plant Based Alternative Pastas
Sea Vegetables: Kelp noodles: sold in the Asian section of the grocery store (or on Thrive Market) are kind of plasticy!?! but work in hot or cold dishes. Simply drain off the water they come in, rinse them well with clean water and cut with a kitchen scissors. You can then, add them into a warm vegetable mixture like a stir-fry, add them into a soup, add them into a protein mixture (like ground turkey/beef with veggies), or make a cold salad.
Palmini Noodles: These are a bit of a trend for ‘low carb’ but I like them just because it’s a plant! They are made from hearts of palm (which I love for salads too in non-noodle form!) I buy mine on Amazon and not all the time, just once in awhile for a twist. They are soft and you can substitute them in nearly any warm pasta dish, they recommend soaking them in a nut milk/non dairy milk like coconut milk to make the flavor richer, but I didn’t do that for my recipe above!
Shirataki Noodles: Made from the Konjac plant, most are 97% water and 3% soluble fiber – called glucomannan -- (plus a natural calcium additive to help the noodles keep their shape). That’s it and are found all over Japan. I buy these at the grocery store or on Thrive Market, found in the cold section near the vegan cheeses typically.
How to make zucchini noodles!
pasta bowl formula
Pick your noodle, choose from:
Veggie Noodles (zucchini, yellow squash, spaghetti squash/etc)
Gluten free grain noodles (Buckwheat noodles (also called soba noodles)/Rice/Quinoa/Amaranth/Blends)
Legumes (Chickpea, blackbean, mung bean, lentil)
Choose your flavor! Meaning what kind of noodle bowl do you want to create? Thai, Mediterranean, Asian, Italian? These are basic versions
Your sauce! This will have to do with the choice above so here are some basic go-to blends for creating each of these:
Asian: Fresh grated or chopped ginger root, 3-4 TBSP rice vinegar, fresh chopped garlic, orange or lemon zest (or both), juice from orange, lemon or both, 3 tsp oil; 1-2 TBSP coconut aminos, cilantro, salt, scallions or shallots also work well.
Mediterranean: 1 TBSP olive oil, fresh or dried oregano, fresh chopped parsley, basil, sea salt, 3-4 TBSP red wine vinegar, fresh chopped garlic.
Pasta quick verison: buy a marinara sauce you love without added sugar or any NO list foods
Indian: turmeric powder, curry powder, garlic, onion, coconut milk
Add extra veggies/greens
It’s super easy to add chopped spinach or kale to a pasta dish. The greens just fold right in, you don’t have to cook them and it’s a great way to add more vegetables to your diet (or your family’s without them really noticing).
Other super simple ways to add more veggies: add in frozen peas either to your sauce as it warms up, or steam them a little ahead
Make a plant pasta without a red sauce, but instead use avocado oil and fresh squeezed lemon juice, this is one of my go-to weeknight simple fast meals. Typically I will add peas or steamed broccoli to the noodles with the oil and lemon and then simply salt and maybe some vegan cheese.
cooking pasta tips
Boil water, once boiling, add a little salt
Add the dried noodles of your choice, read the package directions so you have an idea of how long they will take
Once you add the pasta, let the water come back up to a boil and then turn the heat down to a low/medium heat level so it simmers
Stir frequently to make sure noodles don’t stick together
I find that most noodles cook FASTER than the package says, especially plant pastas like chickpea/lentils and you really don’t want to leave the water because it can tend to overflow quickly, so just stay close and keep watching it/stirring it.
Al Dente means fork tender, it means they are super squishy, but still hold their form
IF you are going to put your cooked noodles back into heat, such as in a sauce or a veggie mixture, cook them a little UNDER so that the heat doesn’t cause them to disintegrate once you boil them and then add them to more heating
Simple Spaghetti Formula:
Pick your pasta + Water for cooking + salt for cooking + Sauce + Herbs + Bonus greens
Ex: Boil water to cook chickpea noodles with a little salt. Once cooked, remove from heat and drain, while pasta is cooking, warm up an Organic sugar free marinara sauce in a small pan, add the cooked noodles, toss in some chopped spinach or other greens and then serve into bowls, topping with some fresh chopped herbs like parsley, basil or oregano.
Veggie Noodle Formula:
Make your pasta if making it out of veggies
Heat pan to medium heat, spray with oil
Add flavor enhancers if using: garlic, onions, with salt
Add veggie noodles and continue to stir-fry adding more oil if needed, season with salt again and dried herbs if applies to flavor
Cook through, while adding sauce of your choice
Remove from heat and serve and top with more fresh herbs if you like
NOTE: to make this a BROTH BOWL
Buy a low sodium veggie broth without added sugar of your choice and AFTER you completed all the steps above, just add the broth, and let it warm up, you can also taste it to see if it needs any extra flavoring, but now you have more of a “soup” than a stir fry.
Alternative Pastas Formula:
This applies to kelp, shirataki and palmini noodles. You don’t have to cook them! You simply rinse them off in water and then use at room temp or cold, OR you add them to veggies and/or add a sauce. You’ll see variations in the recipes below, but these are great to keep on hand for super fast meals. Another thing you can do to enhance the flavor of these is to soak them. Try soaking palmini noodles in coconut milk for a richer, creamier flavor. The kelp and shirataki noodles do well in broths and broth based dishes as well.
More Veggies Formula:
Pick your pasta + Water for cooking + salt for cooking + Sauce + Herbs + Bonus greens + Extra Veggies
Ex: Cook pasta like above. While doing this, or even before because pasta is fast, heat up a stir fry/saute pan and add in chopped or sliced peppers, mushrooms, or chopped broccoli, seasoning with salt/pepper/herbs. Once veggies are softening, add your red sauce over the veggies, then drain/rinse pasta once cooked, add to veggie/red sauce mixture and warm through. You can still add in the greens and herbs if you like.
The Recipes
