Noodles. Color. Flavor. This is everything you need.
Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients:
1 lb Bucatini (or any other pasta)
1/2 cup pine nuts
5 cloves garlic (4 cloves thinly sliced, 1 whole)
2 tbsps Nutritional Yeast
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsps vegan butter
1/2 cup panko
1 serrano chili, thinly sliced
4 cups Swiss chard, washed and roughly chopped with stems removed
1 cup parsley, washed and chopped
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
On a dry nonstick pan over medium heat, toast pine nuts swirling and mixing them periodically so they toast and do not burn. You want their color to deepen to a medium brown. Remove from heat to cool for a couple of mins. (Toasting pine nuts transforms them to an umami-rich cheesy flavor when mixed with salt & nutritional yeast.) 😋
In a food processor, add pine nuts, 1 whole garlic clove, nutritional yeast, hemp seeds, salt and pepper and chop.
Transfer contents to the pan (used to toast pine nuts) over medium heat and add 1 tbsp butter and panko and mix for 2-3 mins until golden. Place Garlic Butter Parmesan in a separate bowl or container.
Using the same pan over medium high heat, add oil and sliced garlic and sauté for about 2 mins, mixing so they do not burn.
Add chili and mix for about 1 min to let the chili flavor the oil - this will also add spice to the overall dish. (Note: if serving little kids who don't like spice, skip this step with the chili and add later to your own plated dish.) Add Swiss chard and sauté until wilted, about 2 mins.
Turn heat off and add cooked pasta, 1/4 cup of pasta water, 2 tbsp butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley and mix, letting the residual heat melt the butter and meld all flavors together.
Salt and pepper to taste, top with parmesan mix and any additional toppings like chili flakes or your favorite hot sauce and enjoy.
Any veg will do for this recipe - look for something seasonal, fresh or whatever you've got a hankering for. Enjoy!