I love making up recipes from pictures I see on IG or Pinterest but I am so bad at writing down exactly what I do as I go along. I’ve even had to make the same meal again so that I can write down every step I took.
So, I’m sharing this rough recipe today and hopefully you trust yourself enough to just take a dive and throw things in the pan together. You really can’t go wrong with cooking, because if you put too many olives in, you can just take them out. It’s baking that you really need to be more precise, so relax, grab a glass of wine and throw all of this together in under 30 minutes. You’ll also have leftovers for days so that’s a win for everyone!
The leftovers make great lunches that can easily be taken on a picnic, to the pool, to work or to school. (I specifically rhymed that because it sounds fun!) I really don’t want to cook every night so I specifically plan bigger meals to last about two nights. Don’t get me wrong, I love cooking, but some days are really long with a baby when they don’t nap well, or they are grumpy, so I enjoy going to the pool as a family after Daniel finishes work instead of being in the kitchen.
Vegan Fusilli Pasta Salad
Course Main Course
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 packet penne pasta
2 TBS olive oil 1 for the onion and 1 for the tempe
½ onion thinly sliced
1 clove garlic mashed
1 block tempe cut into cubes
1-2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS maple syrup
½ punnet baby tomatoes, sliced I used a variety of colors
¼ cup olives pitted and sliced
10 basil leaves chopped
crispy onions as garnish
For the sauce
1 TBS olive oil
¼ cup vegan mayonaise add more to taste
Instructions
Cook the penne according to the instructions on the box.
Fry the onions in a pan with 1 TBS of the olive oil and add any spices that you wish. Add the garlic towards the end, when the onions are clear and almost cooked. Set aside.
Fry the tempe in the remaining TBS of olive oil for about 2 minutes before adding the soy sauce and maple syrup and stirring well to distribute the liquid. Remove from the heat when browned. I love it a little crispy on the edges.
In a large bowl add the onions + garlic, tempe, tomatoes, olives, basil and pasta.
In a small bowl, mix the olive oil and vegan mayonnaise together and pour into the large bowl with all the other ingredients.
Garnish with crispy onions and basil. Enjoy!
Notes
Serve with garlic bread for the full Mediterranean experience. I put about 1 tsp mashed garlic with 2 tsp vegan butter for a ¼ baguette.
I think Ollie is really going to enjoy eating this one with us, but for now he is still on purees and the occasional finger food. He is trying some combinations of foods like butternut + pear and last night’s hit beans + mango. I love watching his silly faces as he tastes different foods, he is just too expressive. You’d think I was giving him a lemon every single time?!
Have a great weekend everyone!
What ingredient would you add to this salad?
What combinations does your child enjoy?
When did they start eating the same things as you?
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