Every once in awhile I come across a dish that even though it is plant based just blows my tastebuds away! My love and I had an amazing dinner at ABCV a few months back and tried their lemon pasta. Of course it was wonderful, the way everything is there. Naturally it stuck in my mind as a “someday try to figure out” recipe. Well- the time has come. I am happy to share this gorgeous pasta with creamy garlic lemon sauce.
The pasta I used is a bucatini, which I have to say is one of my favorite. It has a heft and toothsomeness to it that I just adore. A few months ago Alex Delany of Bon Appetit magazine posted an article on the joys of this hefty, hole in the middle, pasta. He extolled on the virtue of that “adorable” hole in the middle of the pasta, and how it captured cabonara sauce, etc. Shortly thereafter there was a rebuttal about how this long pasta was not all that. They called out the author about sauce not actually running into the tubular holes, and that the pasta was actually a pain in the neck.
What?!?!? OK, sure- I thought that was a stretch too- but please my dear, there are other redeeming qualities, and no need to throw away the baby with the insipid tomato sauce. It’s not sauce sucking that I love about the holes, it’s the air that gets into your mouth which somehow adds flavor- sort of like chewing with your mouth open the way the Japanese love to slurp their noodles. Perhaps this is nuts too- but I’m going with it, especially since I am struck with the same thought every time I eat it.
Feel free to choose whichever pasta turns you on. Just know that this sauce is thick and creamy and needs some sort of hefty counterpart. No angle hair here please. Gnocchi would be great, regular pasta, liguini, orcchetti – you get the idea.
Think of this recipe when you want to entertain a non plant based believer, or if you are looking for a meal that is perhaps a little more on the elegant side. Guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.
Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat and cook your pasta according to the directions. Wash and using a mandoline, slice the zucchini into strips and set aside. In a blender combine the tofu, garlic, plant milk, onion, half the lemon juice, half the zest, onion powder, mustard, yeast, salt and starch powder. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes to get a creamy smooth sauce. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and over medium low heat cook which constantly stirring until you get a nice thick creamy sauce. When the pasta is done drain and toss with the zucchini. Divide between 4 bowls. Top with the lemon sauce and sprinkle with remaining juice and zest. For looks you can thinly slice and caramelize a few lemon slices. The sauce can be made ahead of time and reheated on low before serving.
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Instructions
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