California “BLT” Pasta

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Well folks, it happened again. I decided to try something new, and couldn’t find a recipe to satisfy my curiosity. What else is new?

Shocking as this may be, I have not had a lot of experience with tempeh. The last time, prior to this week, that I attempted it, I was still a wee, inexperienced dabbler in the world of plant-based cooking, and it did not go well.

But, never one to be deterred, I was not ready to give up on tempeh. I love some tofu, but tempeh offers a slightly different nutritional profile and texture. For one thing, while tofu is lower in overall calories and higher in calcium, tempeh is vastly superior in terms of protein and, more importantly, FIBER, which makes it rich in the delicious prebiotics that our gut flora love to nosh on.

Mmmm, prebiotics.

Still, ounce for ounce, tempeh is more of a back-up singer in this tribute band. Let’s take a quick look at some of the other members, starting with…

Avocado

Before I get too far into this, I need to go ahead and rip off a pretty painful band-aid: I am not the world’s biggest fan of avocado. I continue to revisit it, and use it in recipes, but I am not an avocado toast kind of girl. A little goes a long way for me. Still, in order to really add some classic California vibe to this BLT nod, it was a must, and pairs well with the other ingredients to make a creamy sauce to bring all the other notes together. 

Notwithstanding my resistance, avocados are still considered one of the world’s healthiest foods, boasting respectable amounts of vitamin K, folate, vitamin C, B5, B6, E, and potassium (even more than a banana). They are also proudly composed of plenty of fiber, and lots and lots of healthy fat. While I do not add oil to my diet, reasonable amounts from whole plant sources, including our friend the avocado here, are good not only for your heart, but also boost the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins from other plant foods (more on that to come).

Tomatoes

Ah, the humble tomato. Easy to find year-round, reasonably-priced, and a true staple of every restaurant, cook-out, and canned goods shelf. On top of the fact that they are vitamin rich and very high-water (around 95% by weight), they also contain some pretty bad ass antioxidants, including chlorogenic acid, beta carotene, and lycopene, which has been shown to fight a whole hosts of disease from depression to cancer. 

Two important things about boosting lycopene: cooked tomato products show a markedly higher amount of lycopene than their raw counterparts, and adding a little fat to the cooked tomatoes can increase absorption of the phytonutrients—maybe in the form of a little avocado-based sauce?

Whole Wheat Pasta

Carbs have been done dirty in recent decades, and perhaps none worse than pasta. Just as fruit and donuts are not the same kind of sugar, whole wheat pasta is not in the same family as enriched egg noodles covered in cheese. And before you get on my back about gluten, zip your lip. If you have an actual, doctor-verified, gluten-related condition, then absolutely stay away from it. 

But for the rest of you skeptics, hear me: whole grains, particularly those with gluten, are linked to damn-near innumerable health benefits. Can you say reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity, all while filling your colon with that delicious fiber that keeps your microbiome happy and your bowel movements regular (now can you say it ten times fast)? Hallelujah. 

While there are other power players involved in this recipe, I will save their praises for a recipe in which they are more prominently featured. I’d hate to water down the important facts about our key ingredients by dragging you through every teaspoon in paragraph form. So, without any further delay, let’s get right into it.

California Vegan "BLT" Pasta
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California Vegan “BLT” Pasta

Recipe by MonicaDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

  • For tempeh cooking:

  • 1/2 pack Lifelight tempeh bacon, or 3 oz homemade

  • 1-2 tsp liquid smoke

  • 1-2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

  • For delicious sauce:

  • 1 ripe avocados, halved, seeded and peeled ( I used previously frozen)

  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves,

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1 tsp blended lemon (or ½ tsp lemon zest + 1 tsp lemon juice)

  • 2 tablespoons nooch

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1/8 cup aquafaba (or vegetable broth or water if you don’t have any)

  • And later:

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

  • 1 cup fresh spinach

  • 6 ounces whole wheat spaghetti

  • As much vegetable broth as you need to keep it moist

  • Generous shakes of crushed red pepper

Directions

  • Cook pasta in boiling water until done. Reserve some of the pasta water (you can save all if you want, but you shouldn’t need more than a cup).
  • Drain and rinse with cool water.
  • Add all of the ingredients for sauce into a food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
  • For the tempeh, I used about half the package. Just throw it into a cast iron, adding a little water or broth if it sticks, plus a few splashes of vegan Worcestershire and liquid smoke on each side.
  • Cook over medium or low heat (depending on how hot your stovetop is), until darkened but not charred. Break into small pieces, set aside.
  • After you’ve removed the tempeh, add some more broth to the pan and add your tomatoes, cooking for 3-4 minutes. Then, add the spinach, and by the time you’ve reached for your pasta, it will be wilted enough.
  • Add all other ingredients to the pan.
  • Use vegetable broth or reserved pasta water to thin the sauce to preferred thickness, stirring as you go so you don’t overshoot it.
  • Garnish with additional basil leaves (chopped) and crushed red pepper.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

    Inspired by the Damn Delicious Avocado Pasta recipe found here.