Basil Pasta With Garlic and Pine Nuts (Vegan)
Ingredients
- Purified OR distilled water
- 4 medium organic garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, PLUS more as needed
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt OR sea salt, ground, PLUS more for the pot
- 1 (9-ounce) package organic brown rice fettuccine OR linguine pasta *
- ½ teaspoon organic white pepper, ground
- ½ cup organic pine nuts, lightly toasted**
- 1 cup shredded dairy-free mozzarella OR Parmesan-style cheese alternative OR Homemade Parmesan Cheese
- 10-12 large organic basil leaves, shredded
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with cold water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, soften the garlic in the olive oil in a large sauté pan over low heat.
- Remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and set it aside to keep warm. When the water boils, salt it well, add fresh pasta with a bit of olive oil, and cook. Stir the pasta and boiling water every few seconds, until it is al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving ¾ cup of the cooking water, rinse, and drain again. Add the drained pasta to the sauté pan with ½ cup of the reserved cooking water, season with salt (1 teaspoon or so should do it), and white pepper.
- In a serving bowl, toss the pasta with the pine nuts, ¾ cup of vegan cheese, and shredded basil. The sauce should coat the pasta.
- If desired, add a little more pasta water or drizzle lightly with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese substitute. Serve hot.
Notes
*If you want a grain-free option, use well-rinsed and drained cooked konjac noodle fettuccine or linguine. Or omit the pasta altogether and toss with zoodles (spiralized organic zucchini, seeded if large) or fresh organic spinach, or serve over an organic spinach salad. (Zoodles can be boiled for 2 minutes or served raw.)
**To toast pine nuts, place them in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat,
constantly stirring, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2-4 minutes. ***Great brands of dairy-free cheese include Daiya, Kite Hill, Follow Your Heart, Forager, Miyokos, So Delicious, and Violife.
constantly stirring, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2-4 minutes. ***Great brands of dairy-free cheese include Daiya, Kite Hill, Follow Your Heart, Forager, Miyokos, So Delicious, and Violife.