Pot Vegan Pasta

This idea probably came from Martha Stewart. It’s a great idea. It’s not that making pasta is difficult, but if I were you, creating a smaller mess while saving time would be a great upgrade.

This dish begins with a lot of vegetables: mushrooms, eggplant, and fresh parsley. Start by sautéing your vegetables in a large pot or pan, and then set them aside. Then, add the pasta, tomato paste, garlic, water, and seasonings to the SAME pot. It’s super easy.

You literally bring the water to a rolling boil, cover it, and simmer until the noodles reach al dente. Then, you can taste it, adjust the seasonings, and add it back to the vegetables. It’s so easy. So simple.

It’s also very customizable. You can use any pasta, add your favorite vegetables, fresh herbs, or roasted garlic, and top it with cheese. Enjoy!

Ingredients

12 ounces dry pasta*
Half a small eggplant cubed
2 cups cremini or button mushrooms (sliced)
Three cloves of garlic (minced & divided).
1 1/2 cups vegan marinara sauce
Water 2 Cups
2 tsp sea salt (plus more for eggplant)
1 tsp black pepper ground
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Fresh basil or parsley ( optional for finishing)

Instructions

Rinse the eggplant and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt generously to remove some moisture. Wait 20-30 minutes. Rinse and dry thoroughly with a towel. Set aside. Skip the eggplant if you are short on time, and double up the mushrooms.
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, eggplant, and 1/3 of minced garlic (as written in the original recipe // adjust batch size). Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. (As per the original recipe // adjust batch size). Add the mushrooms, and sauté for another 2 minutes until the vegetables are all browned. Cover and set aside – this will be used to top the pasta.
Add the pasta, remaining garlic cloves, and marinara sauce to the same pan. Start with 1.5 tsp of sea salt and one teaspoon of black pepper. (You will probably add more later, depending on how salty your marinara is/your taste. // Amount as written in the original recipe // Adjust if you change the batch size.
Cover and simmer mixture until pasta is al dente. This will vary depending on the type of pasta, but it usually takes about 10 minutes. Stirring once or twice to ensure it does not stick to the pan.
Stir and taste the dish after cooking to adjust seasonings. At this point, I added fresh herbs and more salt.
Add more parsley or fresh basil and the eggplant-mushroom mix. Remove from heat. Serve immediately. Serve immediately.