Category: Italy

There is no shortage of greens (or plants!) with this herby and fresh Walnut Pesto Angel Hair Pasta. The combination of kale, avocado, basil, garlic, and nutritional yeast make this pesto super nourishing, and it’s even more elevated when you add omega-3-rich walnuts to it. Toss in umami-rich mushrooms and bright, sweet green peas to your favorite legume or whole grain pasta and you’ll have a fiber-rich, nutrient-packed, and super flavorful meal in minutes!

Carpaccio is a traditional dish hailing from Italy, where raw meat is thinly sliced and served alongside capers and onions. This raw, plant-based version has a similar deep purple red color so it may look like traditional carpaccio, however, it’s anything but that when it comes to health. Its deep colors come from plant pigments called phytonutrients, powerful healing plant compounds that you can’t find in animal products. This dish is vibrant, refreshing, and nourishing. Serve it solo as an appetizer, include it in sandwiches for a crunchy texture, or add it to grain bowls for bursts of flavor.

Tempeh Sausage Pasta hits all the right notes for a hearty and satisfying dish. From a culinary perspective, tempeh makes a wonderful meat substitute because of its fulfilling and meat-like texture, which makes it a must-have in your diet for those days when you are craving something savory with a bit of bite. Also, this Tempeh Sausage Pasta is incredibly easy to prepare with — wait for it — just one pot (for making the pasta), one pan (for making the entire dish), and minimal time!

Tuscan Beans and Kale is a hearty, easy-to-prepare dish that is full of flavor and nutrition. Beans are packed with protein, fiber, B vitamins, and minerals like iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. When combined with antioxidant, folate, and vitamin-rich kale you’ve got a nutrient-dense meal you’ll be glad to eat. What’s nice about this dish is that you can customize it (see ideas in the Chef’s Notes). Plus, this dish can be a side to your main meal or its own meal on top of a bed of brown rice, farro, or legume pasta.

Cacio e Pepe is traditionally pasta made with parmesan cheese and black peppercorns plus either butter or olive oil. We have kept the black peppercorns and offered vegan parmesan as an option, but truthfully, the porcini cashew butter gives this dish so much flavor that you may decide to enjoy it without the parm! This dish demonstrates the versatility of mushrooms. Whether they’re blended versus whole or baked versus sautéed or enjoyed solo versus part of an elaborate dish, they have so much to offer!

If you’re a fan of Italian cuisine and trying to incorporate more veggies onto your plate, then look no further than Braised Green Beans Puttanesca. It’s bursting with flavor from the aromatics (onion and garlic) and umami essence (tomatoes and olives), as well as texture from the crispy green beans. Enjoy this dish as a side or a main meal by topping cooked farro or legume pasta with it.

This walnut parmesan cheese is made with walnuts and sunflower seeds, both of which are packed with healthy fats, vitamin E, and magnesium, as well as plant-based protein. Nutritional yeast gives it a “cheesy” flavor the nuts and seeds give it the moist parmesan texture. Sprinkle it on soups, salads, veggies, pasta, and grain bowls.

Need a sneaky way to boost leafy greens intake? Make tasty spreads out of them! This spread can be used as a pesto for pizza, a dip for veggies, or add a bit of water to make it into a sauce for grain bowls. Not only is it tasty, but it’s also packed with nutrition from the cashews, spinach, herbs, and spices!