I’m delighted to share this It’s a Keeper-inspired veggie-conversion with Christina’s readers. For those of you unfamiliar with my blog, I’m Kristi from Veggie Converter and I am challenging myself to create a new family-friendly vegetarian meal each day this year.
I started this challenge because our family is a blended-eater family. I’m a vegetarian, my husband is not, and our kids are young and undecided. So, I got really tired of trying and failing to make two different meals that were tasty or even a decent meat meal at all for my husband. You can only have tacos so many times!
That led me to search for “meaty” recipes that I could convert into vegetarian meals and make something my husband and I would both love. So far, we’ve had a few epic failures, but also a great amount of fantastic successes. We’re all happier at dinnertime.
When I saw Christina’s BLT Pasta, I knew I’d found a keeper for the veggie-conversions. Here’s how I recreate One Pot BLT Pasta into a vegan (meat-free, dairy-free and egg-free) meal.
“BLT” Pasta
Adapted from original recipe at It’s a Keeper.
Ingredients
1 C “Bacon” bits
2 C veggie broth
1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. steak seasoning (optional)
12 oz uncooked pasta (I used spaghetti, original uses linguine)
1 C loosely packed fresh parsley, chopped
4 oz grated cauliflower
1/4 C green onions, chopped (optional)
Wedged fresh tomatoes
Directions
I did not follow the one pot directions, because I was impatient! So, I put he pasta on to boil until just barely al dente. Meanwhile, place a skillet on medium heat and add onion, cauliflower, green onion, steak seasoning and red pepper flakes. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook for 10-20 seconds. Add broth and diced tomatoes, pasta and half of the “bacon”. Simmer until pasta is al dente.
Remove skillet from heat and add wedged tomatoes and parsley, reserving 1 Tbsp. of parsley for garnish. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes or until pasta is tender and sauce is thickened. Serve with remaining bacon and reserved parsley.
The vegan version turned out great. Smoky, fabulous and it will definitely be put on our “to repeat in 2012″ list (if we don’t sneak it in before the challenge is over). For a creamier version, mash about half the cauliflower with a bit of soy milk.
Thank you, Kristi, for sharing your version of this recipe! I’m looking forward to trying it with my family! If you haven’t already done so, please stop by Veggie Converter 365 – Kristi has lots of great recipes and menu plans to share!
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4 Responses to Guest Post: Vegan BLT Pasta
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About Me
Hi! I'm Christina, the chief cook and bottle washer at It's a Keeper. I love to cook and am a self proclaimed recipe hoarder who reads cook books cover to cover like most people read a juicy novel. Join me as I cook and bake my way through the pile of recipes that I've collected. Read more.Find It’s a Keeper on:
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Christina, I love this recipe. I’m a vegetarian and will let you know how this turned out. I’m so happy
Thanks for sharing
hugs
Manni
Yum! I’m a new follower. Great blog! If you have a moment, pls stop by and follow me:
http://stylendecordeals.blogspot.com/
Thanks!
This looks incredible!
Can’t wait to try this out – my family is full of “blended” eaters, too!
Found your site from the Tuesday Twitter Hop – it looks great. I can’t wait to get more recipe ideas!!! Thanks!
Come by and visit when you have time!
Carla aka Mrs. NoNo
Carla at Mrs. NoNo Knows