Lemon & Arugula Pasta with Spicy Cauliflower “Meat” Recipe (Vegan)

Lemon & Arugula Pasta with Spicy Cauliflower “Meat” Recipe (Vegan)

*This life-changing post may contain affiliate links, friend. Tap to learn more than you ever wanted to know.*


Farewell, summer. I have mixed feelings about it. Mostly I’m excited for fall and coziness and pumpkin things, crisp, cool evenings and mornings, and you don’t die of heat stroke every time you try to have a fire pit to roast s’mores. But, won’t you miss days by the pool, weekends at the lake soaking up the sun, nights where it stays light so late that you can go for a family walk after dinner?

 

Autumn already??

It’s almost September, but we’re going out with a bang over here… a pasta with a summery, lemony sauce and topped with peppery arugula and the most delicious, spicy cauliflower. You won’t even miss the meat.

Finding flavorful vegan meat substitutes is my jam. We eat meat-free at least a couple nights a week in this house. It cuts down on our grocery bill significantly and challenges us to use more veggies in a creative way. Win-win.

 

Best cauliflower ever.

This is my favorite way to eat cauliflower and is also delicious as a crunchy topping addition to creamy soups or bisques, loaded baked potatoes, buffalo cauliflower pizza or just by itself as a veggie side dish.

If you’re looking to add more protein to this pasta, some white beans, crispy tofu or lentils would all make great plant-based protein additions.

 

Either way, definitely make this.

 

The key to the creamy pasta sauce is draining but not rinsing the pasta to keep the starch on the outside of the pasta. Then when you let it continue to cook in the sauce, it will naturally start to thicken it. Genius. And, also, yum-town.


AuthorLiz A.DifficultyBeginner

Get after this healthy, vegan pasta & "meaty" cauliflower recipe with fresh lemon juice, peppery arugula, garlic, onions and southwestern spices. Veggies never tasted so good. Hungry yet?

Yields4 Servings

Ingredients – pasta & sauce
 10 oz whole wheat pasta
 1 Tbsp oil
 1 onion, chopped
 4 cloves garlic, minced
 1-2 lemons juiced, (~2-4 Tbsp Lemon juice) depending how lemony you like it. I used 3
 1 can full-fat coconut milk
 1 tsp salt
 Pinch pepper
 ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
 ½ c veggie broth, as needed
 1-2 handful of arugula (depending how much you like arugula)
Ingredients – cauliflower
 ½ head of cauliflower
 1 Tbsp oil
 1 clove garlic, minced
 1 ½ tsp paprika
 1 tsp chili powder
 1 tsp onion powder
 ½ tsp salt
 ¼ tsp cayenne

Directions & such
1

Start a pot of salted water boiling over high heat.

2

Chop your onion, mince your garlic and chop the cauliflower very finely until it resembles crumbles of ground beef in size. Juice your lemon(s).

3

Add cauliflower to a skillet with the oil. Cook in a thin layer over medium-high heat, flipping occasionally about 10-15 minutes or until browned and crispy. Sprinkle garlic and spices over the cauliflower and stir to coat.

4

Add oil to a skillet and cook the onion over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes until just fragrant. Add in the coconut milk, lemon juice and spices. Stir and cook until it is combined and begins to bubble.

5

When the water boils, drop the pasta and cook according to package directions until just al dente.

6

When the pasta is al dente, drain it (do not rinse) and add it together to the sauce. Add as much of the veggie broth as you need to ensure the pasta is covered with sauce. Allow to cook for a couple minutes or until fully cooked and the sauce is creamy.

7

Assemble your bowls: pile pasta in a bowl, crumble the cauliflower and pile arugula on top.

Ingredients

Ingredients – pasta & sauce
 10 oz whole wheat pasta
 1 Tbsp oil
 1 onion, chopped
 4 cloves garlic, minced
 1-2 lemons juiced, (~2-4 Tbsp Lemon juice) depending how lemony you like it. I used 3
 1 can full-fat coconut milk
 1 tsp salt
 Pinch pepper
 ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
 ½ c veggie broth, as needed
 1-2 handful of arugula (depending how much you like arugula)
Ingredients – cauliflower
 ½ head of cauliflower
 1 Tbsp oil
 1 clove garlic, minced
 1 ½ tsp paprika
 1 tsp chili powder
 1 tsp onion powder
 ½ tsp salt
 ¼ tsp cayenne

Directions

Directions & such
1

Start a pot of salted water boiling over high heat.

2

Chop your onion, mince your garlic and chop the cauliflower very finely until it resembles crumbles of ground beef in size. Juice your lemon(s).

3

Add cauliflower to a skillet with the oil. Cook in a thin layer over medium-high heat, flipping occasionally about 10-15 minutes or until browned and crispy. Sprinkle garlic and spices over the cauliflower and stir to coat.

4

Add oil to a skillet and cook the onion over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes until just fragrant. Add in the coconut milk, lemon juice and spices. Stir and cook until it is combined and begins to bubble.

5

When the water boils, drop the pasta and cook according to package directions until just al dente.

6

When the pasta is al dente, drain it (do not rinse) and add it together to the sauce. Add as much of the veggie broth as you need to ensure the pasta is covered with sauce. Allow to cook for a couple minutes or until fully cooked and the sauce is creamy.

7

Assemble your bowls: pile pasta in a bowl, crumble the cauliflower and pile arugula on top.

Lemon & Arugula Pasta with Spicy Cauliflower “Meat” Recipe (Vegan)


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