Let’s face it, during this quarantine nobody wants to go out and buy groceries. What was once something you loved to do, is now a stressful and inconvenient task. So what do you do? You have a pantry full of stuff that you’ve been meaning to use, but ended up forgetting all about it.
Remember those diced tomatoes you’ve been meaning to use? Yeah, what was that for again? Or that pumpkin puree you wanted to make pumpkin pie with for Thanksgiving? How about that jarred pasta sauce you grabbed at random because of pure panic buying? Well, just like the rest of you, I have a bunch of random stuff lying in my pantry as well. And I decided to create 3 different recipes out of the stuff I have at home.
These are easy and delicious, and I’m sure most of you have some of these lying around in the kitchen. Now keep in mind, you can always alter these recipes to what you have in the kitchen! These recipes are simply just a base, so let’s get creative!
Pasta Al Pomodoro
For this first recipe, I created an easy Pasta Al Pomodoro, which translates to pasta with tomato sauce. (I know, it sounds fancier in Italian). This is the easiest out of the 3, you simply need some olive oil, garlic, some dried herbs, and canned diced tomatoes. OH, and obviously whatever pasta you have.
1/2 teaspoon – chili flakes (or more if you like it spicy)
3–4 – garlic cloves, roughly minced
3 tablespoon (39g) – olive oil
1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoon of kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon – black pepper
227g or half a box – spaghetti noodles or whatever you have (ensure it’s vegan)
Equipment:
large pot
large saucepan
fine mesh sieve/strainer
Instructions
Before you start, make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and measured out. This will make the process go by easier!
Drain the diced tomatoes through a fine mesh sieve, save the tomato juice! You will need it later.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low. Cook garlic until aromatic, about 2-3 minutes, sauteing frequently. Next, add the dried basil and dried chili flakes. By doing this we are adding some aromatics and flavor to the oil, so try not to burn the garlic and seasoning.
Add in the drained tomatoes, salt, and black pepper to the skillet and saute it in the oil, about 3 minutes. Then add in the drained liquid from the tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and flavors have come together, 3 – 5 minutes. Remove from heat (keep the sauce in the pan.)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and mix in 2 tablespoons of salt. Once boiling, add in the noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, and drain the rest.
Add pasta to the sauce, stirring, until sauce coats pasta, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Divide the pasta between two plates, serve and enjoy!
This second recipe is gonna be using pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!). I know, I know, pumpkin pasta? Hear me out, it’s pretty damn delicious, if I do say so myself. Pumpkin puree is a blank slate and you can add lots of flavors to it. So I thought, why not try something different. I’m pretty sure some of you out there have pumpkin puree lying around. Just add the right kind of seasoning, and you have a savory and delicious pumpkin pasta sauce! And for a little flare, I did add some crispy sage, it just goes well with the pumpkin and of course, it adds even more flavor. You have to try it!
½ can (222g) – pumpkin puree (make sure it is not pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon – paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Half a box (227g) – spaghetti noodles or whatever you have
2 tablespoons – kosher salt, to flavor the water
Equipment:
large pot
large saucepan
fine mesh sieve/strainer
Instructions
Before you start, make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and measured out. This will make the process go by easier!
Heat oil on a large saucepan over medium heat. When your oil is ready, fry up the sage leaves until crispy. About 5 minutes. Remove the crispy sage and set them aside.
In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and add in the garlic. Cook garlic until aromatic, about 2-3 minutes, sauteing frequently. Next, add the dried parsley and dried oregano. By doing this we are adding some aromatics and flavor to the oil, so try not to burn the garlic and seasoning.
Next add in the pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix until fully combined. Cook the sauce for about 3 minutes and turn off the heat.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and mix in 2 tablespoons of salt. Once boiling, add in the noodles and cook according to package instructions. Reserve 2 tablespoons of pasta water and then drain the rest.
Add the cooked noodles to the pumpkin sauce, along with the reserved pasta water. Mix it all together until combined.
Divide the pasta between two plates, top them with crispy sage, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Crispy sage will only work with the fresh herb.
Keywords: vegan, pasta, pantry pasta, quarantine recipe, pumpkin pasta
Vegan Chicken Parmigiana
Now, this last recipe is the most time consuming out of the three, but it’s also my favorite. Vegan Chicken Parmigiana (AKA vegan chicken parmesan). This is just like the classic Italian dish you know and love. The only part that takes the most time is cooking the chicken, but really, this recipe can be done in under an hour. This recipe does require purchasing the Gardein Chicken Scallopini. Which I’ve been able to find in stock at almost all grocery stores, since most people are focused on toilet paper and meat. This recipe tastes just like the real thing, and is sure to be a hit!
half a box (227g) – spaghetti noodles or whatever you have
2 tablespoon – salt, to flavor the pasta water
2 generous pinches – Daiya Mozzarella Cheese
Water for boiling
Oil for frying
Wet Dredge
¼ cup (55g) – soy milk
3 tablespoon (45g) – all-purpose flour
½ tsp – garlic powder
½ tsp – onion powder
Dry Dredge:
⅓ cup (30g) – panko bread crumbs
½ tsp – garlic powder
½ tsp – onion powder
½ tsp – kosher salt
½ tsp – paprika
¼ tsp – black pepper
1 tsp – dried parsley
Equipment:
large pot
large skillet or cast iron
fine mesh sieve/strainer
2 medium sized bowls
Whisk
baking sheet (if not using a cast iron skillet)
parchment paper (if not using a cast iron skillet)
Instructions
Before you start, make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and measured out. This will make the process go by easier!
Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit and defrost the Gardein chicken pieces.
Pour in enough oil that will cover the bottom of a large skillet or cast-iron pan and place over medium-high heat.
Prep two separate bowls, one for the wet dredge and dry dredge for the other. For the wet dredge, mix together the soy milk, flour, garlic and onion powder until you get a thick batter. For the dry dredge, mix together the bread crumbs, garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper, paprika and dried parsley until well combined.
Next, you’re gonna use the “dry” hand and “wet” hand method. Use your “wet” hand to place the Gardein chicken into wet dredge, making sure that both sides are covered in batter. Then transfer it to the dry dredge and use your “dry” hand to cover the chicken with the bread crumbs. (This method will make your hands less messy.) Once both Gardein chickens are covered, immediately fry them. About 4-5 minutes on both sides or until golden brown.
Place the fried chicken on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or you can leave them on the cast-iron, if using). Add one tablespoon of pasta sauce on each piece of chicken and top them with a generous amount of vegan cheese over the top. Bake for 8 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
While you wait, bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons of salt) to a boil. Once boiling, add in the noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain, and place back into the same pot. Mix in two cups of the jarred sauce with the pasta and heat it over medium heat and allow the sauce to get warm. About 3-5 minutes.
Once your chicken is done baking in the oven, you can start plating. Divide the pasta between two plates, top each plate with breaded chicken, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
If you cannot find Gardien Chicken Scallopini, you can use thinly sliced tofu.
I hope you all are staying safe during these times, practicing social distancing, and staying at home. If you tried any of these 3 Pantry Pastas, let me know what you think in the comments! Don’t forget to rate it and if you happen to take a pic tag me on Instagram @flouredframe, I would love to see your recreations! Happy cooking!
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