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Looking for some easy, nourishing, and satisfying recipes that better suit your hectic schedule? These 15 slow cooker meals are…
Looking for some easy, nourishing, and satisfying recipes that better suit your hectic schedule? These 15 slow cooker meals are… Learn how to make a creamy, restaurant-worthy vegan penne alla vodka in your home kitchen! It’s made with simple ingredients and just 30 minutes. Serve as an easy weeknight meal or date-night main course!
The post Vegan Penne alla Vodka appeared first on Sweet Simple Vegan.
Learn how to make a creamy, restaurant-worthy vegan penne alla vodka in your home kitchen! It’s made with simple ingredients and just 30 minutes. Serve as an easy weeknight meal or date-night main course!
The exact origins of penne alla vodka are unclear, and will vary depending on who you ask. Two places that claim its origin are Italy and New York. But, regardless of its source, the traditional dish has roots in Italian cuisine and has become one of the most popular pasta dishes in the United States.
As you may know, traditional penne alla vodka is typically made creamy with heavy cream and dairy parmesan cheese. We’ve put our vegan spin on the traditional version and we’re stoked to share the recipe with you. It’s a dead ringer for the classic and is a vegan pasta recipe you won’t want to miss out on!
And if you’re craving Italian, make sure to check out our popular classics. From Vegan Lasagna, Vegan Baked Ziti, Vegan Bolognese, Spaghetti Carbonara, Pesto Pasta, Ravioli, Pasta Primavera, Fettuccine Alfredo, Vegan Cacio e Pepe, and more. We have it all!
This vegan penne alla vodka is the perfect base for your favorite vegan protein. You can also add in your favorite sautéed veggies. Here are a few of our favorite additions:
We love enjoying this vegan penne alla vodka as a main course on a busy weeknight, but it’s also elevated enough to serve for a special occasion. Pair it with your favorite crusty bread, like Vegan Garlic Bread or Vegan Focaccia and a light side salad, like this Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad.
Don’t worry; the alcohol cooks off, and you won’t be getting drunk from eating this pasta sauce. Vodka adds to the recipe’s aroma and acts as an emulsifier for the sauce, allowing the cream to meld with the tomato base.
All of the ingredients in the vegan vodka sauce are naturally vegan without substitutions. If you’d like to make the pasta dish as a whole gluten-free, just swap in your favorite gluten-free pasta and serve with gluten-free friendly side dishes.
Cashews are a key ingredient for making this tomato sauce rich and creamy. You may be able to swap the raw cashews for raw sunflower seeds for a similar flavor, though we haven’t tested it. If you’d like to give it a try, we’d recommend soaking the sunflower seeds for 20 minutes, just as you would cashews.
Leftover creamy vegan penne alla vodka will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When possible, we recommend storing the pasta sauce and pasta in separate containers. This will keep the pasta from absorbing the sauce and will keep your leftovers as rich and creamy as possible.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until just warmed through.
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you make this recipe. We love to see your photos!
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Total Time: 30 minutes 
Yield: 8 small servings Learn how to make a creamy, restaurant-worthy vegan penne alla vodka in your home kitchen! It’s made with simple ingredients and just 30 minutes. Serve as an easy weeknight meal or date-night main course!
Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Entree, Pasta
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Vegan, ItalianNutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
The post Vegan Penne alla Vodka appeared first on Sweet Simple Vegan.
Looking for a fast and easy dinner recipe that tastes like it took all day? This creamy goat cheese pasta…
Looking for a fast and easy dinner recipe that tastes like it took all day? This creamy goat cheese pasta is done in 20 minutes and sure to be a favorite.
Can you ever have too many easy dinner recipes? As often as we create everyday easy dinner ideas for this website, we still have nights we don’t know what’s for dinner! So here’s a new dinner that couldn’t be easier if it tried: our 20-minute creamy goat cheese pasta.
Why we love this recipe: This pasta is so tangy and creamy, sweet from the tomatoes and lightly peppery from the fresh basil. The secret to the creaminess is that goat cheese, which brings a complexity that’s almost like a vodka sauce. Combined with chewy penne, it’s out of this world tasty!
This pasta is so easy to make, essentially a stovetop version of this Instant pot pasta (if you have a pressure cooker, head over to that recipe!). For the stovetop version, it’s simply a matter of cooking up some penne, and making a quick marinara sauce at the same time. Here are a few ingredient notes:
So, goat cheese: is it healthier than cow’s cheese? Actually, yes! There are many benefits of goat cheese over a standard cow’s cheese like cheddar or mozzarella (via Prevention):
If you can find it for this goat cheese pasta, try to buy local goat cheese! Supporting local vendors is so important for the local economy: and what’s more fun than supporting local goats! We have a local goat cheese vendor at our farmers market that we love. So consider checking out your farmers market or groceries for any local goat cheese options.
Cooking pasta too long is a common mistake in the kitchen. To cook pasta to al dente, check the package instructions and then start tasting your pasta a few minutes before that! The timing listed on many packages results in rubbery pasta.
You want to catch the pasta right when it goes from crunchy to tender. It should still be slightly firm inside–but not crunchy!
This goat cheese pasta recipe is vegetarian.
For a creamy and luxurious sauce, soft, fresh goat cheese like chèvre is ideal.
Short pasta shapes like penne, fusilli, or rotini are great for holding onto the creamy goat cheese sauce. However, long pasta like spaghetti or fettuccine can also work well.
Goat cheese pairs beautifully with various flavors:
Vegetables: Roasted or sautéed vegetables like cherry tomatoes, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, and zucchini.
Herbs: Fresh herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, and chives.
Nuts: Toasted pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds for added crunch and flavor.
Protein: Grilled chicken or sauteed shrimp.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes 
Yield: 3 to 4 servings Looking for a fast and easy dinner recipe that tastes like it took all day? This creamy goat cheese pasta is done in 20 minutes and sure to be a favorite.
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: ItalianThis Buffalo Chicken Pasta recipe is the perfect combination of creamy, tangy, and spicy flavors. It’s a must-try for spicy food lovers.
The post Buffalo Chicken Pasta appeared first on Budget Bytes.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that most dips can also double as an amazing pasta sauce, and this Buffalo Chicken Pasta is a great example. I took all of the creamy, tangy, spicy goodness of buffalo chicken dip and made it into a deliciously cheesy one-pot pasta. So gather around all of my spicy food friends, you’re going to want to make this easy, creamy, and addictive Buffalo Chicken Pasta ASAP!
This cheesy buffalo chicken pasta starts with all of the same ingredients as buffalo chicken dip, then we add a few more to make it a little saucier and give the dish just a touch more flavor and texture. Here’s what you’ll need to make buffalo chicken pasta:
If you have a little extra wiggle room in your budget, you can add even more goodies to this buffalo chicken pasta to make it ✨extra✨. Try topping the pasta with crumbled blue cheese, or stirring in some bacon crumbles. If you love a crunchy topping, try crushing some butter crackers or tortilla chips and sprinkling them on top of the pasta just before serving. And while it is totally unconventional, I think some small broccoli florets would be awesome in this, kind of like broccoli mac and cheese!
This buffalo chicken pasta is pretty rich, so you’re going to want something light and refreshing to serve on the side. You can opt for a super Simple Side Salad, a classic Caesar Salad, or maybe a simple Cucumber Tomato Salad. Or just go with the theme and serve up some carrot and celery sticks with blue cheese dressing for dipping!
One-pot pasta can be tricky for some because the pasta is cooked in a much smaller amount of liquid than traditional pasta cooking methods. Here are a few tips to make sure your one-pot pasta cooks evenly and to the right texture:
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Dice one boneless, skinless chicken breast (about ⅔ lb.) into small ½-¾ inch pieces. Combine ½ tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, ½ tsp cayenne pepper, and ¼ tsp salt, then sprinkle it over the chicken. Toss the chicken until it is evenly coated in spices.
Heat 1 Tbsp of cooking oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high until very hot. Once hot, add the chicken and allow it to brown on all sides. The chicken does not need to cook through here, just let it brown on the outside.
Add 8 oz of uncooked pasta, one 15oz. can of petite diced tomatoes (with the liquid), and 1.5 cups of chicken broth to the skillet with the chicken.
Stir everything well, making sure to dissolve all the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. The broth will not fully cover the pasta, but that’s okay. Do not add extra liquid at this point.
Place a lid on the pot and allow the broth to come up to a strong simmer. Once simmering, give the pasta a quick stir to loosen it from the bottom, replace the lid, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the pasta simmer over medium-low for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and only a small amount of saucy liquid remains.
Once the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, it’s time to make the buffalo sauce. Add 4oz. of cream cheese (cut into chunks), 2 Tbsp butter, ¼ cup hot sauce, and ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce. Continue to stir and cook over medium-low until the cream cheese is fully melted into the sauce.
Add ½ cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese to the skillet and stir until it has melted into the sauce.
Top the buffalo chicken pasta with sliced green onions and serve hot!
The post Buffalo Chicken Pasta appeared first on Budget Bytes.
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