Vegan Penne Aglio e Olio al Pomodoro

Written by Published on in Pasta, Recipes, Vegan
Vegan Penne Aglio e Olio al Pomodoro

Vegan Penne Aglio e Olio al Pomodoro

Recipe by Pooja VaryaniCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

35

minutes
Total time

50

minutes

Simple, yet fresh and flavorful. Pasta aglio e olio and pasta al pomodoro are typically mutually exclusive staples to the Italian pasta portfolio, each very clean and straightforward by design.

One fine day, I craved both and combined both the concepts, resulting in my very own version of paste aglio e olio topped with pomodoro sauce, mushrooms and zucchini. Each element brings character to the palette – the garlic and olive oil infusion, the fresh tomatoes, the juice veggies with hints of rosemary.

Fresh basil further elevates the pasta, while grated parmesan makes a valuable non-vegan addition for fellow cheese lovers.

Ingredients

  • For the Pasta Aglio e Olio

  • 165g whole wheat penne, uncooked

  • 5 cloves garlic, finely sliced

  • ½ teaspoon oregano

  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • ½ cup water

  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt

  • A pinch of black pepper

  • For the Pomodoro

  • 400g tomatoes, cut into half and grated, leaving out the skin

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • Pinch of sugar

  • For the seasoned veggies

  • 40g button mushrooms, sliced

  • 45g zucchini, sliced and halved

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  • Fill a large saucepan with water, add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil over a large flame. Add the uncooked pasta into the boiling water and allow to cook till it is soft but has a firm bite to it (aka, pasta al dente). Once cooked, drain the pasta using a colander and set aside.
  • For the Penne Aglio e Olio
  • Add the olive oil into a pan, followed by the garlic and allow to cook for around 2 minutes just until the garlic gains a light golden hue.
  • Add the water and cook for 5 minutes over a medium flame till the liquid is reduced by half.
  • Add the pasta, salt, oregano and black pepper. Toss the ingredients till the sauce thickens and coats the pasta.
  • Finally, dress the pasta with a tablespoon of olive oil.
  • For the pomodoro
  • Add the olive oil followed by the garlic till it turns a light golden hue.
  • Pour in the grated tomatoes, sugar and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer on a low flame for around 10-15 minutes till the sauce thickens and the loose water around the edges has evaporated.
  • Seasoning the veggies
  • To season the vegetables, pour the olive oil into a small pan on a medium flame. Toss in the mushrooms, vegetables, rosemary and salt, allowing it to cook for around 5-7 minutes.
  • Assembling the pasta
  • Evenly divide the pasta between two serving plates. Spread the pomodoro sauce over the pasta and finish with the seasoned vegetables on top.

Notes

  • I usually test the pasta with a fork at the 10 minute mark and determine how much longer it needs to cook. Fresh pasta would take around 2-5 minutes to cook while the dried store-bought pasta usually takes around 10-15 minutes to completely cook.
  • Unfortunately, the covid season left me inaccessible to fresh basil, which would make the perfect garnish to this pasta. However, I used a basil-infused olive oil by Douzenis in the pomodoro sauce to make up for the lack of fresh basil leaves, which made quite a difference. Imagine what fresh basil leaves could do!
 

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