Vegan, Gluten-Free Pasta Recipe (Video)
This is super easy to make, and you can whip it up in a jiffy. I love keeping the ingredients on hand for when I don’t have a lot of time (or energy) to play in the kitchen. If you prefer to omit the vodka, that’s fine. The small amount of alcohol helps bring out the flavors. It also adds a bitter bite that goes well with the salty sweetness of the dish.
As always, I use recipes as guidelines – not hard-and-fast rules. So feel free to tinker, tweak and tickle ‘til your taste buds let out a genuine “Mmmm.” I hope you enjoy! And remember to serve the dish with a big ole salad. If you need some new inspiration, there are lots of delicious recipes (and dressings) in Crazy Sexy Kitchen.
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Vegan Penne A La Vodka
Ingredients
- Brown rice pasta (I like Tinkyada brand)
- 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (I love Dave’s Gourmet & Crazy Sexy Kitchen’s Nana’s Marinara)
- 2 to 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup frozen organic peas
- 2 heaping tablespoons capers
- ¼ to ½ cup raw, unsalted cashews
- ½ to 1 cup water (to blend cashews)
- Drizzle of olive oil (optional)
- Splash of vodka (2 to 4 cap fulls or a1/8 of a cup)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Bring water to a boil and add a dash of salt to keep the pasta from sticking. Once the water is bubbling, add the pasta. Follow the directions on the package; it should take about 12 minutes or so.
To make the sauce, use your favorite jarred marinara as the base. Pour into a saucepan and add the garlic, peas, capers, plus a drizzle of olive oil and splash of vodka.
In a high-speed blender, blend the cashews and water until they are creamy. Add more or less water to suit your desires. Pour the cashew cream into the sauce and stir.
Cook on medium to low heat for about 15 minutes. Bathe the sauce all over the pasta and serve with a bright and tasty salad.
Now I’d love to hear from you: what’s your go-to meal choice when you don’t have much time in the kitchen?
Bon appetit!
For more tips, here's a fun video to help you make this pasta:
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Kris Carr is a New York Times best-selling author, speaker and health advocate. She is the subject and director of the documentary, Crazy Sexy Cancer, which aired on TLC and The Oprah Winfrey Network. Kris is also the author of the award-winning Crazy Sexy Cancer book series. Her latest books, Crazy Sexy Diet and Crazy Sexy Kitchen, will change the way you live, love and eat! Kris regularly lectures at hospitals, wellness centers, corporations such as Whole Foods, and Harvard University. In addition to writing for Kriscarr.com, she regularly contributes articles to The Huffington Post, Prevention.com and Natural Health Magazine. Media appearances include: Good Morning America, Today, The Early Show, CBS Evening News, Access Hollywood, The Doctors, The Gayle King Show, Super Soul Sunday and The Oprah Winfrey Show. As an irreverent foot soldier in the fight against disease, Kris inspires countless people to take charge of their health and happiness by adopting a plant-passionate diet, improving lifestyle practices, and learning to live and love like you really mean it. Her motto: Make juice not war!