I'm a little Pea...
“I’m a little pea… I love the sky and the trees.” Or so says Anthony Kimdis of legendary Red Hot Chili Peppers. If you get my reference here- you’ll know how wack that song (titled Pea) actually is. The point of this ridiculous reference – Is that one can be small but mighty. Just like our friend the pea. In fact, the idea for this tahini pasta originated not from the robustly flavored sesame sauce but rather my inspiration to create something starting with a little pea.
I feel like peas are too often complicated and forgotten morsels of magic. This recipe is your advocate little pea (regardless of wether you actually love the sky and the trees… nobody’s really even sure what that means)! This recipe starts with the simple stuff.
Why Peas In Pasta?
Peas are tiny pods bursting with bountiful nutrition. One serving contains about 4 grams of protein and about 3.5 grams of dietary fiber.
Potassium, folate, and B-vitamins are also on the radar with pea consumption.
A couple variations of pees are English peas and sugar snap peas. Here we have used English peas.
Peas have even been shown to increase healthy gut bacteria of lactobacilli and bafidobacteria!
In addition to the numerous health benefits, peas are freaking easy as snap (no pun intended). I just pulled these bad boys out of my freezer and dumped them into my pasta for an easy win!
What Can I do with Tahini
I think a better question is- What can’t you do with tahini! This tahini pasta sauce is versatile, much like the actual sesame sauce itself. You can also use tahini (or the sauce from this pasta ) in ways such as:
- Spreading on toast
- Dipping veggies
- Salad dressing
- In soups
- To create hummus
Pepper Plant Sauce
I wanted this recipe to be sweet, but also full of mischief (cue jalapeño!) While tahini and coconut milk provide a sweet and nutty flavor, the jalapeño contrasts for a party on the tongue. That’s my style, anything to mellow is just… boring.
If you’re not a spice junkie like me, feel free to omit the jalapeño party from your pasta. It will still be just as scrumptious!
Coconut milk is my favorite plant based counterpart- loaded with medium chain triglycerides and electrolytes.
Confessions Of A Not No Obedient Vegan On Veggies
I believe all plants are created with value! Whether the nutritional punch is great or small, each tidbit is critical for keeping our bodies functioning optimally.
That being said, onions have been my arch enemy in my vegan lifestyle transition. If you’ve followed me for any extent of time, you’ll realize that onions are essentially non-existent in my cuisine!
Any real chef will scoff at me (and have!) for my ultimate distrust of what I consider to be a slimy little beast that pollutes an otherwise superb entree.
There is no denying the flavor punch of a properly sautéed and seasoned onion. But when I crunch on any stray and unexpected onion, for this dietitian it’s just NOT! So what do I do to compensate? Hide them- of course!
Don't Ditch The Onion Just Yet!
If we’re being honest, ditching onion probably wasn’t even a thought of yours!
Most people on the planet totally vibe with that little monster that makes you cry every time you touch it (humans have a strange idea of pleasure in my opinion)!
Here’s a few nutrition reasons why we need to keep on vibing with our pal the onion:
- Onions are high in vitamin C (what the heck!) Move over citrus.
- There is a high quantity of calcium, protein, and iron in onions (also makes you go hmm- and too many thought dairy was all the rage)!
- For vegans, iron is a nutrient often deficient. It can take a little more time to find in plants.
- Onions contain the flavonoid quercetin, an antioxidant.
In this recipe I blended the onion into my sauce to keep the nutrients and ditch the texture (my main battle with the onion). I’m sure glad I did because the flavor kick is killer!
Please note-you don’t need to be as weird as me and blend these onions to make this recipe superb! feel free to toss the onions into this dish sautéed just as they are!
Looking for some more sweet deets about root veggies? Check out this garden curry recipe and all the juicy nutrition facts!
Another Stellar Plant Sauce Pasta In The Bank
My favorite thing about pasta is that its quick, easy, and comforting on any day of the year.
You can create a perfect pasta-hot or cold- depending on the time of year.
Not sure how to start creating perfect plant based pasta sauces? Start by getting the right ingredients in stock! Check out my plant based grocery list!
What are you favorite go to plant pasta sauces? Is there a savory secret ingredient you add to every dish? Share the details with me below!
Creamy Tahini Pasta
Equipment
- Skillet
- Blender
- medium pot
Ingredients
Tahini Sauce
- 1/2 cup nutriitonal yeast
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 whole onion sautéed
- 1 whole jalapeno sautéed
- 4 cloves garlic sautéed
Pasta
- 2 cups peas frozen or fresh
- 16 oz mushroom
- 4 cups pasta
Instructions
- Cook pasta for 10 minutes.
- saute mushroom (separate from other veggies)
- Saute garlic, onion, and jalapeno
- Add all tahini pasta sauce ingredients to blender.
- combine pasta sauce, pasta ,peas and mushroom. ENJOY!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
- Fudgy Vegan Brownies Mix - November 14, 2020
- Pumpkin Nice Cream - October 3, 2020
- 10-Goal Ideas for Veganuary and Beyond - September 19, 2020
