Plant Powered Pasta – One Pot – Vegan

by Lou Robbie

When the veg box is brimming with beautiful colourful veg it’s so great to roast up a pot or tray with diced (veg) plants for a delicious nutritious summer pasta supper.

Our family schedule is jam packed this summer with work and holidays, summer camps and playdates. One pot meals are fantastic. Adding lots of organic vegetables to your meals gives everyone a healthy boost that’s needed to get through the busy day.

Make the most of the plants in your veg box this week.

Lou x

Ps The roast bulb of garlic can be added to the pasta or used to mix into butter for your bread.

Ingredients: serves 4

  • olive oil
  • 12 x cherry tomatoes (250g), quartered
  • ½ courgette, diced 1cm
  • ½ red pepper, diced 1cm
  • 2 small sweet potato, diced 1cm
  • 1 red onion, diced 1cm
  • 1 bulb garlic, top cut off exposing the cloves
  • 300g dried spaghetti or any pasta
  • 750ml hot veg stock
  • 2 tablespoons tomato puree
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • To serve:
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened (50g)
  • seedy bread toasted
  • basil leaves

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven 200ºC. Chop and prepare all the veg. Using a wide pot or deep tray add the diced onions, cherry tomatoes, red pepper, sweet potato, courgette and bulb of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and put it in the oven to roast for 30 minutes. Checking half way through, add more oil to the garlic if needed.

Step 2: Make the hot veg stock in a jug and stir in the tomato puree. When the veg is roasted put the roast garlic to one side. Make a space in the middle of the pot for the pasta then pour over the hot tomato stock. Put a lid on the pot if you have one, or cover with foil and either return the pot to the oven for 30-40 minutes or cook on the hob on a medium heat until the pasta is cooked.

Step 3: Make the roast garlic butter. Wait until the garlic is cool enough to handle then squeeze out the cloves of garlic and mash into the butter.

Step 4: Toast the seedy bread and spread it with the roast garlic butter, serve with a bowl of plant powered pasta and some fresh basil leaves.

Root Vegetable and Swede Gratin with Cashew Bechamel  -VEGAN

by Lou Robbie

Celebrate all the lovely root vegetables in your box this week!

Delicious layers of organic root vegetables – mostly Irish vegetables apart from the sweet potato. This is a real celebration of root vegetables and its delicious as each layer adds a different delicious flavour.

If you have a mandoline it is ideal for slicing the root vegetables. We’ve made this with a vegan bechamel but feel free to use a milk one if you wish. Garnish with toasted hazelnuts and a side of wild garlic pesto pasta for extra deliciousness!!

Lou x

Ingredients:

  • For the swede puree: serves 6-8
  • 400g swede (1 small) – cubed
  • 50g butter
  • salt and pepper
  • For the bechamel sauce:
  • 120g cashews
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup water (200ml)
  • Root veg:
  • 400g beetroot (6 beets)
  • 500g sweet potato (4 small)
  • 500g celeriac (1 small)
  • 400g potato (4 medium)
  • plus:
  • 2 tablespoons ground almonds
  • olive oil to drizzle
  • Crushed hazelnuts to serve

Method:

Step 1: To make the suede puree, steam and boil the cubed swede. Once soft blend with a stick blender or blender with butter, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 2: To make the cashew bechamel, pour boiling water over the cashews, leave to soften for 30 minutes. Saute the onion and garlic until translucent and soft. Drain the cashews then blend with the cooked onions and garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper and water.

Step 3: Peel and slice the root veg ideally using a mandoline, the slices should be 1/4 cm thick. Keep each of the vegetable slices separate.

Step 4: Preheat the oven 180ºC. Assemble the gratin add the swede puree to the baking tray first (mine is 13inc x 9inc) , and smooth with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Layer on the beetroot slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer on the sweet potato and add a layer of the cashew bechamel. Next add the potato, salt, pepper and a drizzle of oil. Add another layer of cashew bechamel and finish with the sliced celeriac, salt, pepper and oil. Cover with a layer of parchment paper, tin foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Step 5: Check its cooked be piercing with a small sharp knife. Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Ideally cook and put in the fridge overnight to slice, heat through and serve the next day.