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Tomato Cream Cheese Pasta

Tomato Cream Cheese Pasta

Need a bit of comfort food?  Try this Yummy Italian meal – creamy and delightful…
The perfect ending to a very tough week and you can make it gluten free (plus dairy free) if you like!

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

  • 300 grams fusilli pasta (or any other pasta)
  • 1 cup dry soya protein chunks (try: TVP, TSP, Vegepro, Mealmaker brands), soaked in warm water to soften
  • 1 medium green capsicum (aka green pepper, bell pepper), diced into cubes
  • 1 medium carrot, cut into semi circle slices
  • 200 grams button mushrooms (fresh or canned), sliced
  • 250 grams cabbage, chopped coarsely
  • 3 heaped tablespoons concentrated tomato puree/paste
  • ¼ teaspoon hing (aka asafoetida)
  • 2 ½ tablespoon oil or butter
  • 1 teaspoon mixed Italian herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, marjoram etc)
  • ½ teaspoon crushed/powdered white peppercorn or black peppercorn
  • 60 – 100 grams cream cheese/milk cream (if you like it rich, then go for 100 grams)
  • Salt to taste

 

Method:

  1. In a pot, bring 1.5 liters of water to boil and cook pasta as per instructions on the packet (usually about 8-10 minutes). You may want to add ½ tablespoon of oil & salt to the boil or you can boil it plain. Once cooked, drain and keep aside.
  2. In another pan, heat the rest of the oil/butter, add hing, tomato puree/paste and fry tomato paste thoroughly until oil appears to be accumulating on top of ingredients.
  3. Add carrots, cabbage and stir fry till half cooked. Add mushrooms and capsicum and fry for 1 minute.
  4. Add Italian herbs and crushed white pepper. Squeeze water out of soaked soya protein chunks & add to pan. Mix well for 2 minutes
  5. Add cooked pasta, cream cheese and salt as per your taste and stir fry until it’s evenly mixed and enjoy the meal with love!

Please refer to pictures below to guide you:


Small sized soy protein chunks soaking in warm water


Dried fusilli pasta


Transformation: cooked fusilli pasta


Oil, hing (foaming) & tomato paste


Sliced button mushrooms & carrots diced capsicum and chopped cabbage!


Vegetables & seasonings all mixed well


Pasta added to the mix! stir it up!


Sit back, relax and enjoy your pasta!

 

Variations:

This recipe is NOT gluten free but you could make it gluten free by using gluten free pasta and if you would like to make it dairy free as well, substitute the cream cheese with silken tofu – very nice and high protein.