Free 150 Vegan Favorites by Jay Solomon

bite into it. When the pasta is ready, pour the noodles into a colander and drain the cooking liquid. Do not run water over the pasta unless you are making pasta salad. Transfer the cooked pasta to warm serving plates and serve at once with your favorite sauce.
    By itself, pasta is not fattening. However, when the noodles are drowned in a rich cream or butter sauce, the calorie meter starts to climb skyward. In the world of vegan cookery, pasta meals are both enticing and healthful. Canned and fresh tomatoes, seasonal vegetables, bountiful herbs, and aromatic garlic are the main staples, while soy sauce, cilantro, sesame oil, and peanut butter often appear in Asian recipes. The bottom line: If you stock your pantry with a variety of pastas, you will never get bored of this nourishing staple.
Hot Chili Macaroni
    Macaroni, an all-American staple, blends nicely into this unpretentious one-pot dish of vegetable chili.
    Yield: 6 servings
    2   quarts water
    1   cup elbow macaroni
    1   tablespoon canola oil
    1   medium yellow onion, diced
    1   green bell pepper, seeded and diced
    2   stalks celery, diced
    3   or 4 cloves garlic, minced
    1   can (28 ounces) stewed tomatoes
    1   can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained
    1   can (11 ounces) corn kernels, drained
    1   ½ tablespoons chili powder
    2   teaspoons dried oregano
    1   teaspoon ground cumin
    ½   teaspoon black pepper
    ½   teaspoon salt
    In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the macaroni, stir, and return to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat until al dente, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain in a colander.
    In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, corn, chili powder, oregano, cumin, pepper, and salt and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend in the cooked macaroni and cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
    Ladle into bowls and serve at once.
Pasta Marinara with Broccoli
    The secret to creating a great marinara sauce is to use canned plum tomatoes. They have a rich, robust flavor and thick texture. Broccoli adds a nice crunch to this dish.
    Yield: 4 servings
    1   tablespoon canola oil
    1   medium yellow onion, diced
    2   large cloves garlic, minced
    1   can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes
    2   tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
    2   teaspoons dried oregano
    1   teaspoon dried basil
    ½   teaspoon black pepper
    ½   teaspoon salt
    3   quarts water
    8   ounces pasta spirals or bow-tie pasta
    1   small bunch broccoli, cut into florets
    1   cup canned red kidney beans, drained
    In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, oregano, basil, pepper, and salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    In another large saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta, stir, and return to a boil. Cook for 8 minutes, then stir in the broccoli florets. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and transfer to a large serving dish.
    Transfer the red sauce to a food processor fitted with a steel blade (or to a blender) and process until smooth, about 5 seconds. Return the sauce to the pan and stir in the beans. Return to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
    Ladle the sauce over the pasta and broccoli and serve at once.
Spaghetti with Garden Greens
    This is an easy way to include nutrient-rich leafy green vegetables into your everyday meals.
    Yield: 4 servings
    1   tablespoon canola oil
    2   or 3 cloves garlic, minced
    1   pound chard or field spinach, trimmed and cut into