Creamy Oil-free Pasta Primavera

_{Photo by Eco-Vegan Gal at ForksOverKnives.com}

Oil-free Pasta Primavera

By Chef Katie Mae
 
Makes 4 servings | Ready in 25 minutes | Stores 1 week in fridge
 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 12 stalks asparagus, chopped into ½ inch pieces
• 8 garlic cloves, minced (2 teaspoon garlic granules)
• 12 oz penne noodles (preferably gluten-free)*
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup unsweetened, non-dairy milk
• ¼ cup rolled oats, ground (or oat flour)
• 1½ cups chopped snap peas, or frozen green peas, thawed
• ½ cup fresh basil, diced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano and/or dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper or more to taste
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a medium pot half-way with water. Place over medium heat, cover and bring to a boil.
2. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add carrots, onion, red pepper, asparagus, and garlic. Cover and sauté until the onions are translucent, stirring occasionally so the vegetables don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Add pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook as directed. When pasta is al dente, remove from heat, drain and set aside.
4. Add water and non-diary milk to the vegetables, and then stir the ground oats. Turn the heat to low and continue to stir so the oat flour doesn’t clump together.
5. After a few minutes, add the pasta, peas, herbs, and black pepper. Mix well. The pasta should be covered with a very light creamy sauce.
6. Turn off heat, and then stir in lemon juice and tomatoes. Serve warm, or let cool for 30 minutes in refrigerator to serve as a cold pasta salad.

CHEF'S NOTES

My preferred type of gluten-free pasta is made with quinoa. Two fantastic brands are Ancient Harvest and Andean Dream.

My favorite non-diary milk is WestSoy organic unsweetened soymilk—it has just two ingredients: water and organic soybeans!