Recipes- Pasta

Pasta is potentially the best all around food source for us. We change up the type of Pasta with each meal, but my pasta sauce makes any pasta taste better. Pasta is also the best way for vegetable-fearing people to get their vitamins. Simply put a whole bunch of veggies in the sauce and BAM! it is better.

First off, I feel all pasta sauce needs a dose of onion and garlic. You can eliminate these if you do not like them, but I think it makes every sauce better. You can add or subtract veggies as you see fit.

Sauce:

1 Large Onion
2 Medium Cloves of Garlic
1 cup Diced Tomatoes (preferrably fresh)
1/2 cup 'Morningstar Farms Grillers Crumbles'
1 Large Green Bell Pepper
1 Large Red Bell Pepper
1/2 jar of 'Prego' Original Sauce (the big jar)
Fresh Oregano, Basil, and Rosemary

Saute 1 large onion and 2 cloves of garlic in olive oil in the saucepan. Stir and cook until onions are semi-transparent and the garlic is almost brown. Add 1 cup of diced tomatoes and stir for 3-4 minutes on medium. Add 1/2 cup 'Morningstar Farms Grillers Crumbles' and stir for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 large green pepper (diced) and 1 large red pepper (diced); stir for 1-2 minutes. At this point, add the Prego Original Sauce to the mix and then cook on medium for 10-15 minutes; stirring regularly. Add traces of fresh rosemary, basil, and oregano and continue to cook for 5 minutes.

Pasta:

2 Cups Pasta (preferrably fresh)
1 Cup Broccoli florets

I usually start the water for pasta then start the sauce. By the time the sauce is ready to be left alone, the water is boiling. Put pasta in the water and 2-3 minutes before it is done, throw the broccoli in the SAME water. Broccoli tastes best when only 'blanched' (lightly boiled) for 2-3 minutes. Boil pasta according to the specified directions.

This is one of the healthiest meals you can have; it has protein, calcium, iron, and most vitamins.

I take this same recipe and tweak it depending on what veggies are in season and one big one is Asparagus. Instead of the Broccoli, try boiling Asparagus spears in the same water for 7-8 minutes. Other additions/subtractions might include using TVP (texture vegetable protein) instead of the Grillers crumbles. Seitan gives a different flavor. Sometimes I use a Boca Chicken Patty as 'Chicken Parmesan' over pasta. (using soy cheese of course)

Then make some sort of Garlic or Cheesy bread to go along with it.