Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Authentic One Pot Pastas for Fall

One Pot Pasta has been one of the biggest life changes I've made in 2017. Over the past year, websites like Buzzfeed and Saveur have been inundated with recipes for making a full meal in one container in a short amount of time — put everything in a pot, heat it up, and ta-da it's done. Everyone from lazy college students to busy parents could love the simplicity and convenience of this concept. 

But what if you're vegan? What if you can't eat traditional glutinous pasta? What if you were bred and raised on Italian tradition and how dare anyone make a complex pasta dish in one pot in under 30 minutes?

That's where I come in...

Up first: Pumpkin Shaped Pasta with a Pumpkin Sage Cream Sauce adapted from Lauren Toyota.

Vegan Pumpkin Pot Pasta

• Prep Time:5 mins
• Cook Time:20 secs
• Total Time:5 mins 20 secs
• Servings:4
• Easy

Ingredients

• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice optional
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup or more nutritional yeast
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• Half box pumpkin shaped pasta mine was trader joe's

• Step 1

  Add olive oil, minced garlic, and onion to a pan and cook for 2 min or until fragrant.

  

• Step 2

  Add spices and cook for another minute.

  

• Step 3

  Add can of coconut milk, bring to a boil, then add canned pumpkin, turn down heat and stir until desired consistency.

  

• Step 4

  Add nutritional yeast and lemon juice and stir to combine.

  

• Step 5

  Add pasta, and put on lid and let cook for 10-12 min, or follow cooking directions on pasta box.

  

• Step 6

  Serve with fresh cracked pepper, salt and spices.

  

While it may sound blasphemous to any true Italian chef, this concept originates in Puglia, Italy, and was popularized by Nora Singley, a recipe developer for Martha Stewart, who spoke to her server at a traditional restaurant in Puglia and was shown the magic live and in person. 

Here's our take on Martha's recipe now...

Gluten and Guilt Free Spaghetti

• Prep Time:5 mins
• Cook Time:20 mins
• Total Time:25 mins
• Servings:2
• Easy

Ingredients

• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small sliced onion
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatos
• 1-2 cups spinach
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• pinch salt
• 1/4 tsp red chili pepper flakes
• Half box Edamame Spaghetti 4 oz
• 2 cups water or vegetable broth if you wanna get fancy

• Step 1

  Add all the ingredients to a pot except for spinach and bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

  

• Step 2

  Add spinach and stir uncovered for a few minutes or until enough water has evaporated and the broth now resembles a thin sauce.

  

• Step 3

  Serve with fresh cracked pepper and salt and any spices you like!

  

Lastly, we have what I consider the closest thing to a poor Italian college student's attempt at making authentic Bolognese sauce, but cheap and lazy.

Pappardelle Alla Bolognese

• Prep Time:5 mins
• Cook Time:25 mins
• Total Time:30 mins
• Servings:4
• Easy

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb diced pancetta or uncured bacon ends and pieces cheaper alternative I used
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 lb lean ground beef or thin skirt beef
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup red or white wine
• 1 cup broth I used vegetable
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 container pappardelle 8 oz
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pecorino-Romano optional

• Step 1

  Add olive oil and fatty meat (pancetta or bacon) to pot and cook for about 3 minutes until fragrant

  

• Step 2

  Add onion, carrot, and celery to pot and let steam, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.

  

• Step 3

  Add lean beef and stir until browned.

  

• Step 4

  Add tomatoes, wine, and broth and stir for 5 minutes.

  

• Step 5

  Drain 1/2 cup of the sauce liquid and return to stove.

• Step 6

  Add whole milk and put noodles in bowl of water to soften for 1 minute.

  

• Step 7

  Add noodles to sauce and stir gently. Let simmer for 3 minutes, then serve with salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, top with freshly shredded Pecorino-Romano cheese.