Shiitakes and Whole Wheat Penne in a Creamy Low-Fat, Vegan Garlic Sauce

Alisa Fleming ~ It’s here! The October issue of the Vegan Culinary Experience is out, and as usual, it’s FREE! Chief Editor, Chef Jason Wyrick shares a little about this month’s “Quick and Easy” theme:

“I’ll be honest.  I love food, I love to cook, but I don’t love to do it all the time.  After a long day in the professional kitchen, I often find myself feeling rather burned out for my personal kitchen.  That’s when I head for the containers of hummus or other quick foods I’ve got sitting around, or I head to the kitchen to make something fast and easy, something that doesn’t require a lot of thought, but tastes great and leaves me satisfied for the rest of the night.  This issue is dedicated to everyone else who goes through a similar experience and contains recipes for breakfasts, main dishes, sides, and even super-fast desserts!”

As a teaser, I have a sample recipe from this month’s issue. It’s rich, creamy, earthy, and warm. Chef Jason ups the “hearty” factor in this recipe so that you can enjoy a lighter meal that satisfies in the cooler months …

But first, a quick note. As mentioned, this issue is completely free – it is actually an e-magazine, and ready for download right now. For those who want a little something extra, you can become a Premium Subscriber with a small donation to the cause. Premium Subscribers will get a set of bonus content in mid-November, including recipes for Polenta with Roasted Garlic Sauce, Noodles in Spicy Hoisin Peanut Butter Sauce, Super-quick Stuffed Poblanos, and ten other recipes! To become a Premium Subscriber, head over to http://veganculinaryexperience.com/VCESubscribe.htm and help support the VCE.

Now enjoy the sample recipe below and get the full e-magazine for free at www.veganculinaryexperience.com.

Recipe: Shiitakes in a Low-Fat Creamy Vegan Garlic Sauce

Summary: Recipe by Chef Jason Wyrick of The Vegan Culinary Experience

Ingredients

• 4 oz. whole wheat penne pasta
• water for boiling pasta
• 12 oz. soft silken tofu
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 12‐15 fresh shiitakes, sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Add the noodles and stir for about 1 minute.
3. Puree all the ingredients for the sauce.
4. Slice the shiitakes.
5. Mince the parsley.
6. Add the sauce and shiitakes to a pan and simmer them over a medium heat for about 5 minutes.
7. Once the noodles are done, drain them and plate them.
8. Top with the sauce and shiitakes, finishing the dish off with fresh parsley.

Quick notes

Serve with a glass of light white wine and a brothy veggie soup.

Variations

Raw and/or Soy-Free Variation: You can make the sauce using cashew cream instead of tofu. Once you’ve got that done, lightly salt the shiitakes and then place a weight over them. Let them sit for about 20 minutes, then add them to the sauce. Serve over shaved carrots.

Gluten-Free Variation: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta in place of the whole wheat penne.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 10 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Sugar-Free, Low Fat, optionally Gluten-Free and Wheat-Free, optionally Soy-Free

Number of servings (yield): 2

  

Article by Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree.org and author of Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a freelance writer for several publications, with an emphasis on creating recipes for various types of special diets.