One thing COVID 19 has yet to ruin is the good old-fashioned night in. Impress your flatmates with a simple but sumptuous vegan feast. This creamy rosé and tomato pasta dish is the perfect way to add some dinner-party luxury to a cosy night, not to mention, wine is required!
Ingredients (serves 2 but can be adjusted easily for more):
100g dried pasta (spaghetti or linguine work best)
300g cherry tomatoes
Garlic infused olive oil
1 clove of garlic, or 1 teaspoon of garlic purée
3 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoons of tomato purée
Half bottle rosé wine
250 ml long-life oat cream*
2 tablespoons vegan parmesan** (plus extra to serve)
Handful of roughly torn fresh basil
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Optional:
Two handfuls of fresh spinach
Red pepper or chilli flakes
Nutritional yeast flakes
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Either cut in half or prick the skin of the cherry tomatoes, place them on a foil lined baking tray. Drizzle with garlic infused olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, then roast in the oven for 20 mins.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions, then drain.
- In a separate pot, heat olive oil and add finely chopped or puréed garlic on a medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until golden but not burnt. Add flour and tomato purée and stir until combined into a paste.
- Gradually add the rosé while whisking constantly. Continue whisking and pour in the oat cream at intervals. Don’t worry if the texture looks watery, curdled or separated at this point, a lot of whisking is required to achieve the right texture.
- Continue whisking until the sauce is smooth, then reduce to a low heat and leave to simmer and thicken for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the vegan parmesan and half the roughly torn fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine the sauce with the cooked and drained pasta. Add a splash of hot pasta water to loosen if necessary. Mix in most of the roasted tomatoes, reserving a few for serving. If desired, add a few handfuls of fresh spinach, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, chilli flakes, or nutritional yeast.
- Serve with the remaining cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves as a garnish. Enjoy with an obligatory glass of rosé – after all, you’ve got half a bottle left!
*available at Real Foods, Tesco, and Asda – can be replaced with regular cream or full-fat milk for non-vegan versions.
** available at Real Foods and Tesco, can be replaced with regular parmesan for non-vegan versions.
Image credit: Aline Ponce via Pixabay