Creamy Vegan Sausage and Kale Pasta with Crispy Panko

I’ve been working hard towards eating vegan since March of this year, and through lots of trial and error I’ve finally started to figure out what vegan products I actually like, and how to recreate my favorite meals from before I went vegan. This pasta dish has it all - a creamy, savory sauce, flavorful sausage, hearty greens, and a crunchy garlic-panko topping that has become my new go-to on top of pasta. 

Recipe:

• 
  

1/3 cup olive oil + 1 tbs olive oil

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1/2 white onion, finely diced

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1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

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3-4 links vegan sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces (I prefer Field Roast or Beyond Meat brands)

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2-3 cloves garlic, minced

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1 ripe tomato, diced

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1/2 cup flour

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3.5 cups unsweetened, unflavored almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

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1 tsp soy sauce

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1 tbs Dijon mustard

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2 tbs white wine

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1/4 cup nutritional yeast

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Kosher salt

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1 box bow tie pasta

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4 cups greens (kale, spinach, collards, or any combination of your choice)

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1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

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1/4 tsp garlic powder

1. 
   

Heat the 1/3 cup of olive oil over medium heat and add the onion and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until the onions start to soften. 

1. 
   

Add the sausage, garlic, and tomato and sauté for another 3-4 minutes until it starts to brown. 

1. 
   

Stir in the flour until it is completely absorbed by the olive oil. It will be very dry in the pot-that’s okay. 

1. 
   

Once there is no more bright white, dry flour in the pot, slowly whisk in the almond milk. 

1. 
   

Add the soy sauce, Dijon, white wine, nutritional yeast, and 2 tsps salt. Taste and add more salt if needed!

1. 
   

Simmer the sauce for a few minutes until it’s thick like an Alfredo sauce and remove from the heat and set aside.

1. 
   

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta.  Add the kale when there are 5 minutes left.

1. 
   

Drain the pasta and kale, then add into the pot with the sauce.

1. 
   

Mix the remaining 1 tbs of olive oil with the panko, garlic powder, and a tiny pinch of salt.  Add into a small pan and heat over medium heat until the panko is a toasted, golden color.

1. 
   

Serve the pasta in big bowls with a generous sprinkle of the toasted garlic panko on top. 

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