Cheesy vegan pasta

By Sari Huhtala

This vegan cheesy pasta was my go-to meal when my kids were growing up and I needed to make healthy food fast. Before evolving into a nutritarian, about 25 years ago, I would have made it with wheat pasta, butter and parmesan cheese. Today, I wouldn’t even think about adding highly inflammatory wheat pasta to a meal. I’ve also swapped out the parmesan for a superfood, and butter for a brain-boosting, anti-inflammatory oil.

What’s the secret to a cheesy cheese-less dish? Nutritional yeast. Just one and a half tablespoons of fortified nutritional yeast provides: 8 grams of protein, 39 per cent of your daily iron needs, 1000 per cent of vitamin B12, 659 per cent of vitamin B6, 777 per cent of riboflavin, 833 per cent of thiamin, 195 per cent of folate needs, 63 per cent of niacin, and 20 per cent of daily zinc needs, along with fibre and other trace minerals.

Look for a brand that is “fortified” for an extra nutritional boost.

Cheesy vegan pasta (Makes 2 servings)

• Approximately 250 grams of uncooked brown rice pasta
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• Fresh chopped basil, or dried basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook brown rice pasta according to package directions. While cooking pasta, mince garlic and set aside 10 minutes to allow the garlic to work its magic and release its medicinal allicin. Drizzle the olive oil in a frying pan. Toss the minced garlic into the oil, and heat gently just to release more of the garlic’s flavour. Strain the pasta once it’s cooked, then pour pasta into the frying pan. Coat the pasta with the garlic olive oil, add chopped basil, salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Sari Huhtala is the creator, publisher and editor of Alive and Fit Magazine, which was created in 2007.  She has over 25 years of experience in journalism and over 15 years of experience as a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, and is a holistic chef, offering holistic cooking and edible wilds workshop, and My Farmacy workshops. She is an organic farmer, wild-crafter and grandmother, who has spent over 20 plus years navigating a holistic, healthy path for her family. Reach her at friends@thelaughingforest.ca