Vegan Pasta Con Funghi

Something that I love to do, and am finally getting back to doing, is veganizing family recipes. In the past I have had fun veganizing meals like my mom’s Stuffed Peppers and Pasta or Baked Macaroni and Cheese. And in this case I am actually I RE-veganizing a recipe because the last time I made it was 5+ years ago (!!). Vegan products have changed a bit since then and the recipe needed to be simplified.

Like many of my favorite dishes, this is one that frequented the dinner table when I was growing up, and it’s one that my mom learned how to make from her mom, my nonna. The story goes that Nonna found the recipe in a newspaper or magazine, which I find oh so endearing. She read the Italian newspaper, Oggi – I wonder if it was in there.

The dish is called “Pasta con Funghi” which literally means “pasta with mushrooms” but it sounds way cooler in Italian, so we’re going to call it that forever. And although mushrooms are the star of the dish, it is equally laden with two other ingredients: onions and ground beef. In its original form it also relies on a base of Campbell’s onion soup to achieve flavor. So, there are few non-vegan ingredients to contend with.

Substituting Beyond Beef for the ground beef in this dish was the easy part (but any plant-based beef or crumble will do here – I’ve even thought about using lentils). Replacing the soup is a little trickier, so I just used extra onion and a box of vegan beef broth to mimic the flavor, along with a nice dose of salt. You could also try mushroom broth, vegan “beef” bouillon cubes, or Better Than Bouillon for the base.

For my part I was happy to keep this recipe simple – 1 package of Beyond Beef, 1 box of broth, 1 lb of pasta, etc., but the beauty of this recipe (and all recipes really) is that you can tweak it to your liking.

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RECIPE: Vegan Pasta con Funghi

Although the name means “pasta with mushrooms,” this dish is not complete without sweet vidalia onions, chewy “beefy” crumbles, and an onion soup base.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 medium sized onions (vidalia or yellow), finely chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 lb package of Beyond Beef (or plant-based “beef” of your choice)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 box of Ocean’s Halo “No Beef Broth” or ~4 cups vegan beef broth of your choice (ex. prepared with a “no beef” bouillon)
  • 16 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 lb small or medium pasta shells
  • Vegan parmesan for serving (I like the Violife Shaved Parmesan)

Directions

  1. Cook Beyond Beef in a skillet, breaking into crumbles with a wooden spatula. Set aside.
  2. Cook pasta shells al dente, drain and set aside.
  3. Saute onions in olive oil until they are translucent/soft (approximately 10 minutes).
  4. Add garlic and saute briefly so it begins to cook but does not burn (less than 1 minute).
  5. Add Beyond Beef and stir. Season with 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste).
  6. Add Vegan Beef Broth and cover. Bring to a simmer.
  7. Add mushrooms and replace lid so mushrooms can cook (approximately 5 minutes).
  8. Stir in cooked pasta shells and serve with vegan parmesan cheese.

Notes

  • This recipe can easily be adjusted to accommodate your preferences for more mushrooms, more onions, different kinds of mushrooms or onions, different pasta shapes, more or less “soupy,” etc.! 
  • My mom is a staunch believer that small pasta shells should be used in this recipe, but I liked it with the medium ones (and they were what was available to me at the time.) I think orecchiette would be another great choice.
  • If you are unable to find vegan beef broth, you can use vegan “beef” bouillon cubes to prepare your own or even subsitute mushroom or vegetable broth. This will change the taste a little, but should still be delicious.

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Vegan Baked Macaroni and Cheese

vegan baked macaroni and cheese

One day I’ll post a recipe that doesn’t involve pasta, but now is not that time. Now is the time for vegan baked macaroni and cheese!

Not that this makes me very unique, but growing up my one of my favorite foods was macaroni and cheese. Specifically, I loved the boxed stuff by Kraft and the baked variety by Mom.

As an adult, any hankering I have had for Kraft mac & cheese has been easily satisfied by making a box of Annie’s Vegan Mac or Goodles Vegan is Believin’.

The craving for Mom’s macaroni and cheese has been a little trickier to satisfy, but only a little bit. You see, it all begins with her secret recipe (which can be found on the back of a box of Mueller’s elbow macaroni, or on the internet) and ends with replacing the butter, milk, and cheese with their dairy-free equivalents.

Here’s the recipe!

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RECIPE: VEGAN BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE

vegan macaroni and cheese baking in the oven

Servings
  • 4-8 Servings (it makes a tray full, so the servings yield depends on your appetite, if you serve it as a side or main dish, etc.)

Ingredients

  • 16 oz Elbow macaroni (one package)
  • ½ cup Vegan butter (such as Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
  • 6 tbsp All purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Dry mustard
  • ¼ tsp Black pepper
  • 4 cups Unsweetened plant-based milk (such as almond milk)
  • 4 cups Shredded vegan cheddar (such as Violife)
  • Breadcrumbs

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350˚F.
  2. Cook your pasta for just a couple of minutes, so it is very al dente. It will finish cooking in the oven later! Drain and set aside.
  3. Melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan then stir in the flour, mustard, salt, and pepper.
  4. Gradually add in the almond milk and cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly, stirring constantly!
  5. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils, continuing to stir constantly!
  6. Switch the heat to low and simmer 1 minute, while you guessed it – stirring constantly.
  7. Add the vegan cheese and stir until it is completely melted, resulting in a beautiful cheese sauce.
  8. Add in your elbow macaroni and stir until it is coated in the cheese sauce.
  9. Pour your cheesy macaroni into a 13×9 casserole (I like to use a clear Pyrex). Optionally, steal a few spoonfuls to eat while the rest bakes. I do this every time.
  10. Top the dish with a layer of breadcrumbs and bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.

Notes

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Vegan Egg Stuffed Peppers and Pasta

Stuffed Peppers served with zitiIf you’ve gone vegan, you know there are a lot of questions that come with the territory. How do you get enough protein? Wasn’t it hard to give up cheese? Are there any dishes that you really miss?

If you’re asking me, I’ll tell you that I eat a variety of plant-based proteins, like beans and tofu, and that I didn’t have a hard time giving up cheese because I actually like vegan cheese. And yes, there are dishes that I miss, like my dad’s chicken soup or my mom’s stuffed peppers. Though I’ve sworn off animal products, it makes me sad to think that I will never eat these meals again.

That’s because these are not just any old dishes, but the ones that bring on the nostalgia. For a blue house filled with the delicious smell of a big pot of soup or sauce simmering the day away. For a family of four sitting down to eat in the kitchen, no phones or television to distract us from each other. For flavors that no restaurant meal or grocery store product can ever resemble, because they’re us.

Thing is, I don’t want to miss these dishes. I want to have my nostalgia and eat it too. And so begins my mission to “veganize” my favorite family recipes, hopeful that I can replicate the heart of each dish, minus the animal products, and cultivate a lasting family dinner tradition in my own home.

Stuffed Peppers to be

I thought I’d begin with one of the classics – my mom’s stuffed peppers. Rather than rice and meat, these peppers are filled with a spongey stuffing made with eggs, cheese, and breadcrumbs. They’re cooked slowly in tomato sauce, which not only smells awesome, but results in a flavorful red pepper sauce that begs to be served over a big bowl of ziti.

For a long time, I thought this dish would be off the table for me as a vegan because it would be difficult to replicate the taste and texture of the eggy stuffing. But that was before Follow Your Heart introduced VeganEgg, a powdered product that looks, acts, and tastes like egg once it is blended with ice cold water.

So I did a little research (which is to say I called my mom a bunch of times) and got to cooking. My first batch of peppers turned out pretty good, but the stuffing was a bit too soft and did not fill the peppers all the way up. I made some tweaks to the VeganEgg mixture on the second go ’round and was happy with the result. My sauce tastes just like the original and my peppers are pretty darn close.

One less dish I have to miss!

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RECIPE: Vegan Egg Stuffed Peppers and Pasta

Stuffed Peppers in Sauce

These stuffed red peppers feature an eggy filling that’s 100% vegan. As they simmer away, the stuffing cooks and the sauce takes on the flavor of red pepper. Pair with ziti for the perfect Sunday supper.

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 2 28 oz cans of tomato puree
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • ½ cup onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp parsley
  • ½ tsp basil
  • ½ tsp salt

Peppers

  • 5 red peppers, scooped out
  • 12 tbsp VeganEgg, level/unpacked
  • 3 cups ice cold water
  • 1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup vegan Parmesan cheese (I used this one, from Follow Your Heart)

Pasta

  • 1 lb ziti (or pasta of your choice)

Directions

  1. Start the sauce by sautéing the onions in olive oil over medium heat until translucent/cooked through. Stir in garlic, parsley, and basil and cook for just a minute or two until fragrant. Pour in cans of tomato puree and switch to low heat. Allow the sauce to simmer while you prepare the peppers.
  2. Make the filling for the stuffed peppers, by whisking or blending 12 tablespoons of VeganEgg with 3 cups of ice cold water. Combine with the breadcrumbs and vegan parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Use a spoon to fill each pepper almost all the way to the top with the VeganEgg mixture. Carefully place the peppers in the simmering sauce. Arrange them standing upright against each other so that they are not going to fall over before the filling sets. Once the filling sets, it’s okay if a pepper tilts over.
  4. Simmer the peppers in the sauce for 1.5-2 hours until the VeganEgg mixture becomes firm and the sauce takes on the heavenly taste and aroma of the red peppers. Stir frequently in between and under peppers to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  5. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Mix with red pepper sauce and garnish with vegan parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Serve family style along with the stuffed peppers and extra sauce.

Notes

  • This is not a quick and easy meal. I recommend making it on a Sunday afternoon when someone else is around to entertain the little one. Anyway, what’s better than sauce on Sunday?
  • To save some time you can scoop out the peppers earlier in the day, like during the baby’s morning nap, then store them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. You can do this while watching Netflix and drinking coffee, and it’s actually kind of nice.

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What dishes would you miss the most if you went vegetarian or vegan? If you’re already veg, what do you miss and have you tried “veganizing” it? 

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