I love, love this quick and delicious plant-based sausage spaghetti pasta for so many reasons. First, it’s simple to make and it lasts the whole week which makes for great leftovers or freeze the pasta sauce and save it for that week when you’re too tired to even put a pot of boiling water on the stove!
Another reason on I love this plant-based pasta sauce is because it really does have a savory “meat” flavor. I used to make sausage pasta using real meat and I have to tell you, I hated it. I mean it did have flavor but it had that sausage gristle which really grossed me out.
Then along came Beyond Meat Sausage. Whoa! I was blown away by how good it is. My adult daughter who is vegan and occasionally writes for this website (Is Corn Bad For You) likes it and she never enjoyed eating meat. So, I would describe the flavor as more savory rather than “meaty” — it just has that Italian pasta flavor that I love so much.
Using Plant-Based Sausage And Rao’s Homemade Pasta Sauce
If you want to start making this plant-based pasta, scroll down for the recipe. First, though, I want to share why I sometimes use bottled sauces and processed foods. Many people who strictly follow a whole-food, plant-based diet, get a little twisted over the use of processed foods or even oils in cooking.
I like to remind users that The Plant-Based Diet website is designed to help you find a way to transition into eating more plant-based and if it’s not easy to eat plant-based, many people simply quit. That means that’s worse than just using some ready-made plant-based products which can make plant-based eating very satisfying and simpler to adhere to on a daily basis. However, I don’t use canned, bottled, processed mock-meat daily. I strive for balance in my eating just like in my workout routines. To me that creates a healthy and thriving lifestyle and I’ve had to learn the hard way which things I need to eat minimally like gluten because it can negatively impact my thyroid.
How To Make Quick And Delicious Plant-Based Sausage Spaghetti Pasta With Spinach And Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- Pasta noodle of your choice (this Pastificio La Rosa Gluten-Free Bucatini is excellent)
- 1 package Beyond Breakfast Sausage (plant-based)
- 1 jar of Rao’s Homemade Roasted Garlic (32 ounces)
- 1 tbsp of chopped garlic
- 2-3 tablespoons Capers (to reduce sodium, rinse capers in water)
- Seasonings to taste: Red Chili Flakes (Italian Seasoning, Onion Powder)
- Optional — Plant-Based Parmesan Cheese — Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Parmesan
- 1 bag or bundle of fresh spinach
Instructions
- Start a pot of water boiling for your pasta noodles of choice (I love this gluten-free bucatini pasta but this recipe is great with any noodles even zucchini.
- Sauté garlic in a 4-quart pot using a tablespoon of olive oil for about 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Don’t let your garlic brown, you can also add chopped white onions (you can dry sauté if you wish)
- Add Rao’s Sauce to the 4-quart pot, bring to boil and then simmer
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, grill the entire package of plant-based sausage, then remove and place in food processor, grind it until it’s fairly small pieces (you can blot sausage if you want to remove excess oil.) Set aside the skillet but don’t rinse it. We’ll use it again soon.
- Add the ground plant-based sausage to the pasta sauce pot along with 1/4 cup water bring to boil and then simmer
- Add seasonings: red chili flakes, italian seasoning, onion powder, and fresh basil leaves to taste. Add capers. You can also add this delicious plant-based parmesan cheese to the sauce which you can also usually find at Whole Foods. It gives is a rich, creamy taste. Let the mixture simmer covered or mostly covered.
- Don’t forget to check on your pasta. If it’s ready, rinse and set it aside.
- In the same skillet that you used for the sausage, sauté 1 bag of fresh spinach over medium-heat (the oil in the skillet from the plant-based sausage can be used instead of adding olive oil). I usually cover the spinach with a clear lid for about 30 seconds and then remove lid and cook for another minute or so constantly delicately moving the spinach. It cooks quickly and will significantly shrink so do use an entire bag.
- Remove the spinach, plate it and set aside.
- Right away add pine nuts to the skillet, sauté them until they are golden brown. Keep moving them around. This works best in a non-stick skillet. No need to add oil. Once toasted, remove from heat.
- Plate your pasta, with your plant-based sausage sauce, serve with some sautéd spinach and top with pine nuts. It’s the bomb! You’ll love it, I’m sure.
Notes
Nutrition
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