Introducing...Sunday Suppers (Recipe Inside!)
A yummy new recipe series for making your Sundays more cozy and joyful.
I am so excited to introduce Sunday Suppers, new subscriber exclusive recipe series here on Plant Magic!
Sunday dinners are super important on my Italian side of the family; I lost my beloved Sicilian grandmother last year at the age of 101.5, who cooked countless Sunday meals throughout her amazing life. The food was always abundant, and there was always plenty of room around the table. This series is my tribute to her, for all her hours in the kitchen, tirelessly cooking as an expression of love for her (very large!) family. And my God, was her food good.
Mealtime should be about togetherness and enjoyment, and that comes from preparing one meal for everyone, whether you identify as vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, or omnivore. Healthy family meals exist, and I’m going to share my personal favorites with you here, one or two times a month.
These are the meals that I make for myself and my family: nothing complicated, seasonally inspired, nutritious, comforting and full of flavor. It’s food prepared with love and nurturing front of mind. Since it’s Sunday, you may occasionally find longer cook times than would be reasonable on a busy weekday, but never anything crazy, and always worth it.
With all this in mind, it only makes sense that we kick off the series with pasta, my (well-documented) favorite food group.
Rigatoni alla Vodka
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 pound mezzi rigatoni (or other pasta)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
½ tsp salt
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
¼ cup vodka
½ cup raw cashews*, soaked overnight and drained
1 cup water
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup finely sliced fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil; add rigatoni and cook according to package directions until al dente.
While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce: In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often, or until garlic is fragrant and onions are translucent. Add in salt and crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in vodka and let simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a high speed blender, combine water and cashews. Blend on high until totally smooth, with the consistency of heavy cream, about 1 minute. Stir cashew cream and fresh parsley into sauce and simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and season to taste with additional salt and black pepper, if needed. Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.
Can't wait to make this. Love a good pasta with vodka sauce!
Is there something I could use instead of the vodka?