Easy Angel Hair Pasta

2 tsp. Olive Oil

2 Shallots, sliced

3 cloves Garlic, minced

2 tsp. Dried Basil

1/2 c. Marinated Artichoke Hearts

1/4 c. Sun Dried Tomatoes, in oil

6 oz. Angel Hair Pasta (I use whole wheat, as white has absolutely no nutritional value)

Freshly Chopped Parsley

Salt

Cook pasta according to manufacturers' directions and drain.  Do not rinse!!! Rinsing your pasta washes away all of the starch, which is what your sauce will adhere to.  No starch= plain pasta with watery sauce running all over your plate... ick!

In the meantime, heat oil over medium heat in a skillet.  Add shallots and cook 3-4 minutes, until soft.  Add in garlic and basil and cook another 30 seconds.  Toss in marinated artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes and cook until just heated through.  Lower heat and toss in pasta and fresh parsley.  Serve immediately.

*I served this pasta with an italian marinated tofu for an extra bit of protein!

Italian Marinade

1/2 c. Vegetable Broth

2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 clove Garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. each freshly chopped Basil and Parsley

7 oz. Extra Firm Tofu

Press tofu until dry.  Combine all marinade ingredients and toss with tofu in a freezer bag or bowl.  Let marinate 2-8 hours or do a quick marinade by simmering the tofu in the marinade for 10-15 minutes. Bake, broil, or grill.

Spaghetti and "Meatballs"

These babies are better than mama's meatballs! They have a slightly smokey, meaty taste that will make hardcore carnivores question why they need to eat real meat. The nutritional yeast also gives a creamy texture that you would normally get from parmesan cheese. They're super fast and easy to make. You can also make them ahead of time, freeze them after shaping into balls, and then just defrost when you're ready to use. Bon Appitit!

8 oz. Tempeh
1/2 Yellow Onion, minced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp. Liquid Smoke
2 tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. Whole Wheat Flour
2 tbsp. Nutritional Yeast
2 tbsp. Parsley, chopped

Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Marinara Sauce, recipe below (you can use a prepared sauce to save time)

Cut tempeh into 4 strips and steam for 10 minutes.  After tempeh has cooled, use a cheese grater to cut tempeh into tiny pieces. In a large bowl, combine the tempeh with the remaining ingredients and use your hands to thoroughly combine.  The "meatballs" should begin to clump together and feel slightly sticky.

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.  Using an ice cream scoop, measure out the tempeh mixture and form into balls.  Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Transfer the "meatballs" to a saucepan with marinara sauce that is already heated and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve with spaghetti.

MARINARA SAUCE
10 Tomatoes
1 tbsp Olive Oil + 1 tsp.
1 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 c. Fresh Basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Half tomatoes width-wise and seed. Coat tomatoes with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and place in a large Pyrex dish with cut sides up. Bake in a preheated oven for an hour until tomatoes are soft and broken down. Let the tomatoes cool before handling. Once they are cool, squeeze the tomatoes from their skins.

Heat 1 tsp. of olive oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add in garlic and oregano and cook for one minute. Add in tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and allow the flavors to develop. Add in basil. Use an immersion blender, or transfer to blender/food processor and blend until chunky/almost smooth.