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My earlier recipe for Vegan Penne Rigate Mushroom Bolognese was pinned more than 800 plus times and still running strong. After that recipe post, I have been getting a lot of mails for more lite pasta recipes. I am happy to oblige. This pasta verdure uses cauliflower cream sauce instead of cheese. The sauce is so creamy and smooth and delicious. I promise, you wont miss the cheese. Come with me. Lets make another lite dinner. Lets jump in. “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the things you can think up if only you try!”
Lets make the cauliflower puree for the sauce.
Boil about 8-10 florets of cauliflower in water until fork tender. Drain the water. Puree the cauliflower in a blender. Add in up to a cup of water while pureeing. Make a fine paste. Set aside.
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In a wide skillet, add couple of tablespoons of olive oil, chopped garlic and a teaspoon of dried Italian herb mixture. (Any store bought kind will do. Mine had oregano,thyme,dried garlic and basil). Waking up the spices and herbs in oil is the best method to bring them alive. Its the indian technique of tempering spices called the tadka that not only works wonders on Indian cooking but to any cooking. It works every single time. I do it for all my cooking. Not just Indian.
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Once the garlic starts to brown, add in the onions and the veggies. I used peeled and diced zucchini, carrots and peas. Add in a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, soy sauce and sugar. The sugar helps in caramelizing the veggies. Soy sauce gives it a nice umami as we are not adding any cheese in this recipe. Saute until the vegetables are AL-dente.
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Once the veggies are cooked, add in the cauliflower puree, red bell peppers, pasta and the juice of a lemon. Stir well for a minute. Remove from heat.
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For the garnish:
Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan and add in fresh coarse bread crumbs and saute till brown. Sprinkle on the pasta and serve hot.
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- 250 grams Penne Pasta
- 300 grams cauliflower
- 2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb mixture (Any store-bought variety is fine)
- 4 cloves garlic chopped fine
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1/2 cup peas
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 medium zucchini peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh coarse bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Boil about 8-10 florets of cauliflower in water until fork tender. Drain the water. Puree the cauliflower in a blender. Add in up to a cup of water while pureeing. Make a fine paste. Set aside.
- In a wide skillet, Add in couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a pan, Add the chopped garlic and a teaspoon of dried Italian herb mixture.
- Once the garlic starts to brown, Add in the onions and the veggies. I used zucchini, carrots and peas. Add in a teaspoon each of salt, pepper, soy sauce and sugar. Saute until the vegetables are AL-dente.
- Once the veggies are cooked, add in the cauliflower puree, red bell peppers, pasta and the juice of a lemon. Stir well for a minute. Remove from heat.
- Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a pan and add in fresh coarse bread crumbs and saute till brown. Sprinkle on the pasta and serve hot.