Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Spinach Pesto Alfredo

Warning: If you thought vegan food is healthy, this dish can prove to you that vegan food can be rich and decadent - in taste and calories (I am sure!)!!

I adapted this recipe

Spinach Pesto Alfredo


Here is my version:

Ingredients:

Olive Oil - 1/2 T
Onion - 1
Garlic - 2 cloves
Baby Spinach (coarsely chopped) - 1 pkt (8oz)
Vegan Sausage/meatballs - 1 sausage + 8 meatballs (or equivalent)
Tofutti Cream Cheese - 1 container

Vegan Pesto - 4 T
Soy milk - 1-2 cups
Salt - to taste
Black pepper, He
rbs (Italian seasoning), Red pepper flakes - all to taste
Cooked Pasta of your choice (I used Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Pasta)



Add chopped onions and chopped garlic in a pan with warm oil. Saute. (I tend to start boiling water to cook pasta as I start preparing the dinner)

Add Spinach, sausage and cook till spinach is wilted. The meatballs that I use would crumble if I add it too early, so I add it at the end.

Add salt, herbs, red pepper flakes - to taste.
Let flavors meld for less than 1 minute.

Reduce heat and add Tofutti cream cheese. Stir till the cheese melts and mixes with the vegetables.

Add pesto and stir. Add soy milk - decide how much you would like - till the sauce is the consistency that you like.

Add cooked pasta and black pepper if you would like. This is the time to add vegan meatballs if you are adding those.

Enjoy!!


2 comments:

  1. What kind of "meat" balls do you use? I haven't found any I am crazy about. This looks yummy. Are we eating too many carbs? Did you read my comment about a burger cook off this weekend? Want to each try a new burger recipe so we don't have to buy the crappy ones? M is going to want American food when he gets back since all he is eating is stir fries.

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  2. Em, I wrote back to that - I am going to be away this weekend, so I can't make burgers this weekend. Can we do it next week? During the course of the week?
    I assume that with the soy in the cream cheese, sausage and meatballs - there was enough protein and not over-doing the carbs.
    I like the 'meatless meatballs' from Trader Joe's. I think they changed their meatballs last year and I liked them more before, but it works for pasta and has protein (it is a tad too salty for me).

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