Penne with Faux Sausage and Peppers Recipe
Flavorful Vegetarian Pasta with Vegetables and Meatless Sausage
Aug 8, 2009
There are plenty of hearty vegetarian pasta recipes that satisfy the taste buds without resorting to meat substitutes (fake meats). But once in a while, adding rich vegetarian sausage to the sauce is a tasty treat.
Be sure to use a generous amount of olive oil in this recipe. Choose your favorite type of vegetarian sausage; however, don’t choose one that is fat-free or low-fat. Tofurky brand sausages deliver when it comes to a rich, meaty flavour.
Fresh Flavor in Homemade Tomato Sauce
New to cooking tomato sauce from scratch? Far from being a traditional Italian recipe, this tomato sauce is ready in only about an hour, but it still tastes great. For the freshest possible flavor, use fresh Roma (Italian) tomatoes, blanched and skinned. Italian tomaotes are denser and less watery than their rounder cousins. Also, try using fresh herbs instead of dried, but don't overcook or you'll lose the flavor.
Hide Vegetables in Chunky Pasta Sauce
Looking for a way to sneak more vegetables into your diet? Chunky tomato sauce is a great way to disguise zucchini ribbons, slightly bitter collard greens or kale, or extra carrots.
Penne with Faux Sausage and Peppers Recipe
Makes 4 servings.
Preparation time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large cooking onion, thinly sliced
- 3 large cloves garlic
- 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot, sliced with a vegetable peeler or julienned
- ¾ (28 ounce / 796 ml) can whole Roma (Italian) tomatoes in juice
- 1 small can (5.5 oz / 156 ml) tomato paste
- 2 tsp. dried basil
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. dried rosemary
- Dried hot red pepper flakes, to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 (1 lb. / 454 gram) box whole wheat spaghetti or penne
Directions:
- In a large skillet (frying pan or wok), heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the onion and stir to coat.
- Sauté for several minutes over medium heat, until the onions have softened.
- Add the garlic and stir well.
- Add the thinly sliced green pepper and julienned carrot.
- Slice the vegetarian sausages into 1/4” slices and add them to the pan, stirring well.
- Cover the pan and cook until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the whole tomatoes and juice, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
- Add the tomato paste.
- Add the dried basil, oregano, rosemary and hot pepper flakes, if using.
- Cook, uncovered, at least 20 minutes for flavors to mingle.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the pasta in unsalted boiling water until al dente or slightly firm.
- Drain the pasta and serve with the tomato sauce.
- Top with grated asiago or mozzarella cheese, if desired (omit cheese for vegan pasta).
More Vegetarian Pasta Recipes
- Garlicky Pasta with Chickpeas recipe
- Easy Meatless Pasta Recipes: Tomato Pesto Pasta and Pasta with Beans
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