Hellooo.
I’m alive!
Kind of… haha.
It’s been a bit nuts-o busy around here, but what’s new honestly.
I managed to squeeze in a little recipe for you though!
It’s easy and so cozy.
Not that we need cozy in Seattle right now—it’s been in the mid to high 80s, which means we PNWers tend to melt like a bar of chocolate held captive in a toddler’s grasp, or the Wicked Witch of the West if you prefer that slightly more satisfying comparison.
Did I mention I LIKE the heat ha.
Anywho, all you have to do for this little number is whip up a creamy dreamy sauce composed of dry white wine, low sodium vegetable broth, plain vegan cream cheese (I am a little obsessed with Simple Root at the moment), crushed red pepper flakes, savory nutritional yeast, fresh lemon zest + juice, and fragrant basil!
Fold in your al dente spaghetti along with sweet green peas, juicy tomatoes, salt and cracked black pepper, then you’re set.
Well, after you spoon up a big ole bowl for yourself and sprinkle on some toasted breadcrumbs for a little textural contrast.
Twirl and slurp.
P.S. The ingredient amounts don’t have to be exact. Taste, adjust, and do what looks best to you! I like throwing in a lot of veggies but you can cut back, or even add a handful of fresh baby spinach orrr satueed diced zucchini! We always love options. (The cream cheese was salty enough so I actually didn’t add additional salt.)
P.P.S. I don’t know the precise amount of pasta I used since I don’t have a kitchen scale (I know, I know) so I simply grabbed a handful which seemed to be about 1/3 of a 16 ounce package. You don’t have to use spaghetti now, go for your favorite pasta shape! And choose a gluten-free variety if you wish. Banza is always nice, for the protein you know.
Creamy Vegan Spaghetti with Tomatoes & Peas
Ingredients
- 5 ounces uncooked spaghetti (I used Whole Food's boxed spaghetti)
- 1/3 cup low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup dry white wine (Like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
- 1/4 cup plain vegan cream cheese (I used Simple Root brand, Kite Hill would probably work well too)
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup cooked frozen sweet peas (I microwaved the peas in a small ceramic ramekin with 1/2 cup water for 1 minute)
- 1/2 cup sliced cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced (chiffonade) fresh basil, plus more for topping
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Pink sea salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon toasted breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, according to package instructions. My spaghetti took about 11 minutes to cook. Drain.
- Meanwhile, gently simmer the wine and broth in a small pot, until reduced to about half of the original volume. Mine took about 10 minutes.
- Whisk in the cream cheese until well incorporated, then add the red pepper flakes. Simmer for one minute.
- Remove the sauce from heat, then add the nutritional yeast, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Fold in the spaghetti, followed by the peas, tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust if you'd like.
- Spoon into a bowl, then top with breadcrumbs, and more basil if you wish.