Three Greens Pasta
My mother sent me this basic recipe, which i’ve adapted to be lower fat. The original recipe really had three greens in it, although it sounds like something i would have done.
After i cooked what i planned for Christmas early so i could post it on LFVC, i thought for a moment if i wanted to cook and eat it again, and i decided that i would try something different. I thought about different recipes, and thought the red and green of this dish would be Christmassy. And it’s really good, special enough for Christmas, or birthdays, or company.
The tomato sauce is my own recipe, which i have been making for at least 2 decades. You might want to double it, and freeze some for another dish.
I could not find whole wheat lasagna noodles, so i used whole wheat pasta shells. Maybe this will eventually lead me to making my own pasta. I’ve looked at pasta machines, but i’ve read that whole wheat pasta is easier to make by hand, especially vegan whole wheat pasta.
Italian Tomato Sauce
Makes 4 servings
Preparation about
Freezes well
Can be made ahead
1 large onion, about 1 1/2 c. chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
10 mushrooms, about 1 1/2 c. chopped
½ c. water
14.5 oz. (1 1/2 c.) diced tomatoes, or tomato sauce, unsalted
3 oz. tomato paste
1 1/2 t. dried or 2 T. fresh oregano
1 T. dried or 1/4 c. fresh basil
11/2 t. dried or 2 T. fresh marjoram
1 ½ t. dried or 2 T. fresh sage
1 ½ t. dried or 2 T. fresh thyme
1 ½ t. dried or 2 T. fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
½ t. salt (optional)
¼ t. or more ground black pepper
1 ½ t. sugar
1/2 c. water if sauce is used for pasta, or no more water if used for pizza
Sauté the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in ½ c. water for about 10 minutes, until quite tender and translucent. Mince the herbs, if you are using fresh ones.
Add the tomato sauce, herbs, salt and pepper, and water, if necessary. Cook about 45 minutes, until flavors are well blended. Take the bay leaves out before serving.
Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:
Per serving – 85 calories/1 g protein/.3 g fat
Pasta with Three Greens and Tofu Cheeze
Makes 4 large servings
Preparation, not including tomato sauce – 35 minutes
Freezes well
Can be made ahead
Pasta:
2 c. or 4 oz. whole wheat pasta or lasagna
Cook according to package directions. Drain. Set aside.
Tofu Cheeze:
14 oz. firm tofu, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 ½ T. red wine vinegar
1 ½ t. maple syrup
¼ c. fresh basil, chopped
Put all ingredients in the food processor and process until mixed, but still grainy, like ricotta. Set aside.
Greens:
1 stalk broccoli
½ bunch kale, about 3 c.
1 bunch or 2 c. frozen, but thawed, spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 T. red wine vinegar
Chop the broccoli and greens into bite sized pieces. Cook the broccoli and garlic with a little water about 3 minutes, until bright green and slightly tender. Add the greens, and cook about 2 minutes, until wilted. Do not overcook, as the greens will cook more in the oven. Drain the vegetables and mix in the vinegar.
Other ingredients:
4 c. tomato sauce (see recipe above)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread about 1 c. of tomato sauce in the bottom of a large casserole or 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Layer half the pasta on top of the sauce. Then layer all the vegetables. Layer about 2 c. of tomato sauce, and the rest of the pasta. Cover this with the tofu cheeze, spread to the edges. Top with the remaining tomato sauce, about 1 c.
Bake about 35 minutes, until the tofu peeking through is slightly browned.
Adapted from Lasagna with Tofu-Cotta from Martha Devine in The Arcata Eye Spring 2009.
Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:
Per serving – 339 calories/21.5 g protein (25.4%)/7.1 g fat (18.7%)