Five Ingredient Pasta

Five Ingredient Pasta is a quick weekday meal or a great dish to bring to a dinner party or potluck.

Five Ingredient Pasta has been done in so many delicious ways. This is my contribution to that milieu. I have made this recipe twice in the last week and it was a hit both times. It is so quick to put together, you’ll have more time for enjoying dinner with friends and family.

I have tried to take a traditional Italian pasta recipe and give it a south of the border taste.  You have to mix it up a little, yeah? The spicy bite of the soyrizo gives this dish a flair that is just as flavorful  as the meat based counterpart.

Soyrizo, a fresh, healthier take on the traditional chorizo, has 65% fewer calories and 80% less fat than its animal-based counterpart. Made from Non-GMO soy and flavored with spices and expeller-pressed soy oil, Soyrizo has both the texture and flavor of traditional chorizo without the cholesterol. And while it is filled with the important omega 9 fatty acid, it has almost zero saturated fat (0.5g per serving).

Prepare Soyrizo the same way you would prepare traditional chorizo in a recipe. Keep in mind that, since Soyrizo is not meat-based, it does not need to be cooked as long as the traditional chorizo does.

Vegan soyrizo must be refrigerated, but it can be frozen and then thawed when you’re ready to make it. Soyrizo turns out the best when it is cooked quickly over very high heat. Preheat a frying pan without oil and place the soyrizo into the pan, stirring and mashing constantly to avoid sticking. Once the soyrizo is heated, it is ready to eat.

SERVING SOYRIZO

• Heat soyrizo as described above. Stir in soft silken tofu, and cook until the tofu has coagulated. Serve mixture alone, in hard or soft tortillas, or over rice or cooked grains.
• For a baked meal, heat soyrizo as above. Grease a baking pan, add soyrizo, pour soft silken tofu on top, and bake until bubbly.
• For a skillet dinner, chop leftover cooked potatoes. Heat soyrizo as described above. Then, add in the potatoes or cooked rice, cooked beans, cooked veggies, chopped tomatoes, and chopped onions.
• Use soyrizo crumbles as a topping for baked potatoes, with some vegan sour cream, chopped scallions, and bell peppers or onions.
• Make soyrizo crumbles into a topping for homemade pizzas.
• Combine soyrizo crumbles with onions and either fresh bread crumbs or stuffing mix. Stuff into bell peppers or tomatoes and bake.
• Blend soyrizo crumbles with cooked grains and cooked mixed veggies for a one-pot meal.
• Use a small amount of soyrizo to season white, black, kidney beans or garbanzos. It’s also a great addition to bean soups, such as split pea or minestrone.

Five Ingredient Pasta comes together so quickly, you’ll be happy with all the free time you have left to engage with your company. I have made recipes that take me over an hour and a half to prepare and while the end result is super tasty, it cuts into the time I have to use to bring you new and exciting recipes (and planting more peppers, let’s not forget about our kitchen gardens).

Some freshly grated parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top is delicious. If you love olives as much as I do, throw in a liberal amount. I found a new bread at Trader Joe’s that goes very well with this dish; Trader Giotto’s Garlic & Cheese Bread Sticks. Just bake them for 5 to 7 minutes while pasta is simmering. Pour yourself some red wine, kick up your feet, and relax.