Veg Pasta

I made this earlier on in the week and it is SO good! I've had lots of requests for me to write it up so here it is. It is the perfect veggie pasta and works for anyone doing #veganuary .  You can swap to chopped cavolo Nero or kale instead of spinach or some chopped green beans.  The pasta water is key here to making a nice sauce and as I mentioned in my stories, you could add a splash of white wine just before you add the pasta water. 

If using brown rice pasta then just use newly boiled water. 

Vegan

Ingredients:

Serves 2

4 tbsp olive oil

1.5 white onion, diced

1 sticks celery sticks, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 tsp tomato puree

half a broccoli head sliced into small florets, dice the stalk

handful cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 veg stock cube

150ml starchy pasta water

100g mushrooms, thinly sliced

100g baby spinach

Few drops lemon juice

Salt and pepper

(200g pasta of your choice)

Prep all the veg!

Set a large saucepan to boil and salt the water.  Then set a large frying pan to a medium to high heat and add the olive oil.  Next add the onions, celery, carrots and chopped broccoli stalks.  Fry for about 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper.  The veg should start to colour a little.  Then add the garlic and fry for another minute before spooning in the tomato puree and mix.

Now the pasta water should be boiling, cook the pasta to the packet's directions.  Half way through cooking, save a good 2 cups of the starchy water.  Then drain when ready!  

Back to the sauce! Add the chopped tomatoes, crumble in the veg stock, broccoli florets, chopped mushrooms and add the pasta water.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the spinach, lemon juice and check the seasoning.  Add the pasta to the sauce, adding more starchy water if needed to loosen.  Done!