One Pot Vegan Spaghetti Wonder

Lemon, Kale & Tomato One Pot Spaghetti

I first saw a version of this recipe when I took part in Veganuary in 2017. At the time my interest in food had been reawakened as I was learning to plan wholefood, plant-based meals for the first time and the whole month of January was an awesome journey of food discovery.

I found the original recipe lacked a little punch and interest (and the quantities in the recipe seemed way too much for just little me!) so I started to experiment each time I made it…

My favourite way of making this dish has been to use my homegrown tomatoes and Nero di Toscano Kale. You can also experiment with different gluten-free spaghetti options; I tried Aldi’s Black Bean Spaghetti in the dish this week and it was stunning. I found it chewier than a normal spaghetti but it was nicely filling and cooked even faster than regular spaghetti. It is black in colour which means you lose the olives but the taste compensates for the different colour!

I liked the idea of this recipe as it only messes up one large saucepan (instead of several) and literally only takes the cooking time of the spaghetti (or a minute or too longer) to make. So… quick and easy was the initial draw…

This is how to transform unripe homegrown tomatoes into ripe ones in November & December!

Break the spaghetti in two if you can't fit it into the pan whole

One-Pot Spaghetti Wonder

Serves: 2 people
Cooking time: 10 – 12 minutes (dependant on your spaghetti cooking time)
Preparation time: 5 minutes (although some of this can be prepped as you cook)
Unusual equipment: One large, deep and wide heavy-based frying pan and a grater/zester

Ingredients
60-80 g wholewheat spaghetti per person (or any other type to suit you) 
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
150-200 ml boiled water
3 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil (you can use flavoured oils such as garlic, chilli or smoked – I use a mix of garlic and chilli)
200-300gs fresh tomatoes chopped (please buy seasonally: UK in summer and Italian or Spanish in the winter as they have a lower carbon footprint than UK ones which are grown in heated glasshouses)
½ tsp of sea salt
200gs kale (washed and chopped into 1 inch pieces)
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp bouillion powder of other organic/vegan stock granules
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp green vegan pesto (optional)

Toppings (these are all optional)
Half a jar of cheap black olives (chopped in half)
A few tsps of tapenade
Vegan mozzarella
Sainsbury’s Blue-style cheese
Handful of toasted pumpkin/sunflower seeds

Recipe

1. Boil the kettle and get your large pan ready to go
2. Add the spaghetti whole if it fits into the pan or break it in half (put it into the pan first - unless it is quick cook and then add it a few minutes later)
3. Next add the chopped fresh tomatoes, lemon zest, oil, sea salt and boiled water to your pan and bring to a boil (with the lid on)
4. Turn down to a simmer for 5 minutes and keep moving the spaghetti around the dish (to stop it from sticking to itself or the pan) – add a little extra water if it boils dry
5. In the meantime, wash and prep the kale and prepare the other ingredients
6. After the 5 minutes is up, open the lid up and add the tomato puree, vegan stock granules, smoked paprika and pesto (if using). Stir this through and then add the kale. Close the lid again and simmer gently for 4-5 minutes until the kale has wilted
7. Add the chopped olives (if using) and heat through for a 1 minute
8. Serve the spaghetti in bowls and add the tapenade and/or cheese and/or seeds if using
9. Eat hot with a green side salad – de-luscious!

 

Shown here with a handful of basil leaves added on top

Author

Emma began enjoying veganism in 2016 and loves prepping and eating food almost as much as helping others learn about saving the world.