by amvandenhurk | Pasta, Plant-Based Eating
One of my favorite soups is French Onion Soup. I just can not say no when I see it on any menu. And I enjoy making it at home. But I love pasta too. So why not make Vegan French Onion Pasta?
It is comfort food. Perfect for a cold winter’s evening when the wind is whipping around the house and rain pelts the windows. The house fills with the aroma of caramelized onions and fresh thyme. So very cozy.
This isn’t one of my fastest recipes. It takes about an hour from start to finish. And it is a one pot meal. The key to Vegan French Onion Pasta is the caramelized onions. No butter is used. Olive oil on medium for about 25-30 minutes with constant stirring. It is well worth the effort as there is nothing tastier than caramelized onions with mushrooms and thyme. One of my favorite flavor combinations. Dry white wine and a dash of sherry vinegar, elevates the flavor even more.
Speaking of sherry vinegar, I’m getting quite a collection of vinegars. I find that I’m using vinegar more and more in my cooking as I continue my exportation of plant-based eating. My go-to vinegar is apple cider vinegar with balsamic a close a second. It just makes things better. The sherry vinegar finishes off the dish right at the end.
Try Vegan French Onion Pasta for your next rainy cold evening.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 10 oz Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2.5 cups vegetable broth
- 2.5 cups water
- 12 oz dried orecchiette or other short cut pasta
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
- 1. Heat oil over a large skillet over medium heat.
- 2. When hot then add the onions and a very generous pinch of salt.
- 3. Cook, stirring frequently until deeply caramelized which takes about 25-30 minutes.
- 4. Add the garlic, mushrooms and thyme sautéing until the mushrooms begin to soften.
- 5. Add the wine to deglaze the pan and add the flour. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until thickened.
- 6. Pour in the vegetable stock and water.
- 7. Generously season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- 8. Bring to a boil then add the pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente.
- 9. Turn off the heat and stir in the sherry vinegar.
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https://wellwornapron.com/vegan-french-onion-pasta/ 
by amvandenhurk | Dinner, Pasta
Simple Savory Spinach Bacon Ravioli
Quick and simple doesn’t necessarily mean calling for pizza delivery (though sometimes that is a nice treat). You can make a quick delicious meal that is good on the wallet and the waistline. Spinach Bacon Ravioli is one of those meals that can be made in a jiffy but tastes luxurious.
Spinach Bacon Ravioli is a 15-minute meal. Well, 30-minute if you count stopping at the grocery store to pick up the ingredients. Ok, I’m pretty quick in the grocery store so it may take you a little longer. The ingredient list is short: ravioli, bacon, whole garlic, spinach, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. That’s it.
On The Go
I usually have bacon and ravioli in the freezer. Garlic and lemons are in the fridge. So spinach is what I’m stopping for in the grocery store if I haven’t thought ahead. That said I tried to stock my veggie bin with veg we like, and spinach is one of them. With my schedule going in different directions, I am trying to meal plan more and do a week’s shopping in one go. Am I successful? Not really, but I keep trying. For me, the key is to have essential ingredients that I can create different meals on the fly, depending on what I feel like or the time I have. And time is something I have a limited supply of these days.
Let’s get back to the dish. Super simple. With seven ingredients – five if you exclude the salt and pepper – you can make a fancy restaurant meal at home. I use refrigerated cheese ravioli, but frozen works just as well. Don’t limit yourself to cheese ravioli; get creative. When I’m preparing the bacon, instead of wiping out the pan to cook the garlic and spinach, I use the bacon fat. Why get rid of that super flavor? You can swap out the bacon fat for olive oil, but I say use the fat. Just gives everything a wonderful rich flavor. And it isn’t like there is an inch of fat in the pan, more like a coating. Just enjoy it. (Don’t do it with every meal, every day, OK?)
Looking for more pasta dishes? Visit the pasta section.
Ingredients
- 1 package ravioli
- 6-8 slices bacon
- 2 gloves garlic, sliced thinly
- 10 oz container baby spinach torn
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Preparation
- Boil then cook ravioli to package directions.
- While water is setting to boil, cut bacon into sections using a kitchen scissors then cook in pre-heated pan over medium-high heat.
- When bacon is almost crispy, add sliced garlic cooking until brown.
- Add spinach, salt, and pepper stirring until spinach is wilted.
- Add in lemon juice stirring.
- Drain ravioli arranging on plate topping with spinach bacon mixture.
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https://wellwornapron.com/spinach-bacon-ravioli/ 
by amvandenhurk | Dinner, Meatless Mondays, Pasta, Plant-Based Eating, Vegetarian
Meat won’t be missed with this Hearty Vegetarian Ragu
That’s right. Meat will not be missed with this hearty vegetarian ragu. Brown lentils replace the traditional beef or pork in this Italian mainstay. This is a very rich meal and no one will walk away from the table hungry.
I’m always looking for filling vegetarian pasta recipes to serve my family. Italian food is a favorite cuisine. The richer the sauce the more I like it. We adore Meat Sauce Belgian-Style, but that has ground beef.
Vegetarian Ragu Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 ounces mushrooms, chopped finely
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Handful of baby carrots or 1 large carrot, chopped finely
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped finely
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 bay leaf1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth with extra
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked through
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 box (16 ounces) spaghetti
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- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Preparation
- Heat 4 cups of water in a sauce pan and the lentils bringing to a broil cooking until lentils are tender about 20 minutes.
- In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Add mushrooms, garlic, carrot, bell pepper and onion. Cook until vegetables are very brown and soft, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add wine; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in bay leaf, crushed tomatoes, water, lentils, oregano, salt, ground pepper and red pepper flakes.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add cooked lentils and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf and stir in basil.
- Prepare spaghetti while ragu is simmering.
- Meanwhile, prepare spaghetti according to package directions.
- Serve ragu over spaghetti. Garnish with parsley and serve with Parmesan cheese.
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https://wellwornapron.com/vegetarian-ragu/ 
by amvandenhurk | Pasta, Plant-Based Eating, Vegetarian
I’m always trying to incorporate seasonal produce into our meals. Tonight we had Buttery Pappardelle with Pumpkin and Caramelized Onions. I couldn’t find sugar pumpkin, so swapped it out with acorn squash. I got it pre-diced since I’ve had issues with acorn squash before. And I didn’t have pecorino cheese so I used what I had on hand, parmesan cheese. The ingredient list was simple: thyme, butter, salt, pepper, red onion, acorn squash, parmesan cheese, and pasta. It took longer than I had hoped for, but the results were good.
This is a vegetarian dish, but you could add grilled chicken.
It was a keeper recipe. Thumbs up from my guys.
by amvandenhurk | Meatless Mondays, Pasta, Plant-Based Eating, Vegetarian
My hands smell like fresh tomatoes and basil just picked from the garden… and chopped garlic. Glorious smells. Smells, which say something wonderful is being prepared.
In the time it takes to boil water and cook pasta you can have this wonderful sauce. This is a no-cook sauce. It is so fresh. And it is so simple.
Pull out the food processor. A cutting board and a knife.
Quarter 1.5 pounds of beefsteak tomatoes. I would only use garden ripened tomatoes or ones gotten from a local farmer’s market. The key is to have the tomatoes bursting with flavor.
Put the quartered tomatoes in the food process, add one clove of chopped garlic, some olive, salt, and pepper. Give it a whirl to puree the mixture.
Drain the pasta, spoon the sauce over the pasta, then add the chopped fresh basil mixing gently. Grate some fresh parmesan cheese on the top.
You’ve got dinner. In a flash. And healthy.
Hello! I'm Ann Marie and I wear the well-worn apron. Join me as explore plant-based eating while I live on an island off the U.S. state of Rhode Island.