Vegan Lentil Pasta with Almond Tumeric Slaw

Some days I feel like pasta more than others and today I just wanted something healthy and fast.  I scurried through the cabinets and found I had this bag of lentil pasta.  And when I say lentil pasta, I mean made from straight lentils.  So, protein and nutrient rich and also, very dense!  It is one of my favorites when I want a hearty and filling meal that's going to satisfy me for the entire evening.  Well it does that and then some.  Unlike traditional pasta, lentil pasta doesn't have the sugar and processed ingredients so you don't end up feeling hungry 2 hours later.  So not only is it a great filler but it's easy to add in some veggies and whip up a meal that is macro nutrient dense.

As I look through the fridge and cabinets to see what else I can pair with this I see the kale cashew pesto I purchased at Trader Joe's last week and I really need to use it up, so I opt to use this is my sauce.  One thing to note, you have to use a lot of sauce with lentil pasta because it is do dense it absorbs all of the moisture so you really need to find a great sauce to keep it damp.  Or just add a bit of olive oil and you have the same benefits.

Now to find some sides to go with this.  I have a bag of broccoli florets and also some shredded cabbage and kale.  These make great sides!  I start up the stove top to saute some broccoli - because that is my preferred method to cook broccoli.  Put a little olive oil or avocado oil in the pan and boom, set it on low and continue to the next side.

While the broccoli is slowing sauteing you'll want to prep your cabbage/kale mixture.  If you don't have a pre-shredded bag, just simply chop up some green/purple/white cabbage in to thin, long slices and add to your bowl.  I had some almond butter tumeric salad dressing in my fridge from Trader Joe's so that's a great add to any salad.  Super clean and cleansing and so much better than alternative dressings out there.  Its cold pressed, no preservatives and has super clean and simple ingredients.  If you don't have a Trader Joe's near you, then you can make it below.   Depending on how much you want to make, see the ingredient list and proportions below.  I've made one of my own variations for you to copy!  See below.

• 1 cup water 
• 1 tbsp Almond Butter
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 tsp Tumeric
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper 

*Save and store the remaining in a pint size glass jar for future use!

See the directions and full recipef for the Lentil Pasta and Almond Tumeric Slaw below

• 1 bag red lentil pasta - Trader Joe's
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 bag broccoli florets or 2 cups (fresh)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 bag cabbage & kale slaw (2 cups)
• 1/2 cup tumeric almond dressing (either from recipe above or from Trader Joe's)
• 2 sausage-less sausages from Trader Joe's or vegan meat option of your choice

Step 1: Bring water to boil.  Add pasta.  Let simmer for approx 15 minutes or until noodles are soft.  Transfer from pan to strainer to remove all excess water.  

Step 2: Transfer pasta to a bowl and add approx 1/2 cup Trader Joe's Cashew Kale Pesto

Step 3: Stir the pasta into the pesto.  If it looks like it needs more I also will add some olive oil to ensure its not sticky.  

Step 4: Saute broccoli in about 1-2 tbsp olive oil along with the chopped sausage-less sausages.  I love to use black pepper and Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute seasoning.  Saute on medium heat for approx 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.  

Step 4: Toss the cabbage kale mixture with the tumeric almond dressing and set aside

Final step: arrange in whatever way you feel best represents you!  I love to make bowls out of things and line up the ingredients.  Some prefer not to mix and keep things separate.  Whatever serving method suits you is the best:)  Enjoy!