We're busy people in a very busy world where time is of the essence. Who can even begin to think about spending an hour in a hot kitchen after a long and tiring day at work or school where you have been rushing through meetings and to-do lists all day? Fortunately, greasy take-out or dull instant meals are not your only two options.
What if you could create a truly gourmet dish in hardly any time at all?
This all comes down to re-thinking your go-to pasta night. Pair a great pasta like Gustora Pasta with a couple fresh, delicious, totally vegetarian ingredients and cut your cooking time down significantly. Because Gustora uses traditional Italian methods and high-quality durum wheat semolina, the pasta itself provides a wonderful shape and a great way to catch sauce.
Here are three fantastic, gourmet vegetarian pasta dishes that will go from the raw ingredients to your dinner plate in hardly any more time than it takes the water to boil!
1. 7-Minute Mediterranean Aglio e Olio
The beauty of Italian cooking is its simplicity. When you're working with really high-quality pasta, there's no need for an overly heavy, slow-cooked sauce. This gourmet take on Aglio e Olio will rely on really good quality oil and simple pantry ingredients.
Ingredients:
1. 200g Gustora Spaghetti or Fusilli.
2. 3tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
3. 4-5 Cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
4. ½ tsp dried red chili flakes
5. A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
6. 6-8 Black olives, halved and pitted
7. Salt to taste
Instructions:
The boil: Drop the Gustora pasta into a large pot of salted, rapidly boiling water. It will cook evenly due to the durum wheat semolina and have the perfect al dente texture.
The infuse: While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a pan over low heat. Add the thinly sliced garlic and chili flakes. Let the garlic infuse into the oil until translucent but never browned. Drop in the olives.
The toss: scoop out a quarter cup of the pasta cooking water just before draining the pasta. Drain the pasta and add directly to the hot oil.
The finish: Pour in the pasta cooking water, crank the heat to high and toss the pasta until it gets a creamy coating. Stir in the fresh parsley and serve immediately.
2. Fast & Fragrant Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Deep, complex flavors often mean long cooking times, but when you're pressed for time jarred sun-dried tomatoes are your best friends! Sun-dried tomatoes have an intensely complex sweet and savory flavor that taste like they've simmered for hours.
Ingredients:
1. 200g Gustora Penne or Trottole
2. ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, oil packed
3. 2 tbsp toasted nuts such as almonds or walnuts
4. 1 clove garlic
5. A handful of fresh basil leaves
6. 1 tbsp lemon juice
7. Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
The pasta: Boil the Gustora pasta in salted water according to package directions.
The flash pesto: in a small blender or food processor add the sun-dried tomatoes (along with 1 tbsp of their oil), nuts, garlic, basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse until thick and slightly chunky.
The assembly: drain the pasta, saving a bit of the cooking water. Add hot pasta to the pot with the pesto. Stir to coat and add enough cooking water to loosen and coat the pasta evenly.
The serve: Plate immediately and garnish with fresh basil.
3. The Ultimate One-Pot Creamy Cherry Tomato & Spinach Pasta
Who said gourmet means a messy kitchen? The beauty of this recipe is that it all cooks in one pan.
Ingredients:
1. 200g Gustora Chifferi (Elbow) or Fusilli
2. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3. 2 cups baby spinach
4. 1tbsp olive oil
5. 2 cloves garlic, minced
6. 2 ½ cups vegetable stock or water
7. 2 tbsp cream cheese (or vegan alternative)
8. Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
The sauté: Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet or wide pot. Add the minced garlic and cherry tomatoes. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to split open.
The simmer: Add the stock or water to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir in the dry Gustora pasta and a pinch of salt.
The magic: cover and cook for about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed. The starch from the pasta cooking in the liquid will create a beautiful creamy sauce.
The creamy finish: reduce heat to low and stir in the cream cheese and baby spinach until wilted. Plate immediately.
