Vegetarian Spaghetti - That Doesn’t Taste Meatless
First of all, let me tell you about something I learned about from some friends of mine called Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP). This stuff is really quite incredible, especially for those of us having trouble controlling our cholesterol. It has all the texture and positive qualities of meat without the negative affects meat can have on your system. It’s full of protein, and a great source of dietary fiber, which anyone will tell you isn’t easy or pleasant to come by.
It’s a dried product that requires you to hydrate it before you use it in any recipe, but that’s certainly easy enough to do. Read the label for hydration instruction because some may vary.
To make the Vegetarian Spaghetti here’s what you need:
1 can (14 oz.) Vegetable Broth
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
6-7 medium/large mushrooms (stemmed and quartered)
7/8 cup Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
1 jar of your favorite Spaghetti sauce (preferably meatless to stay with our theme)
1 lb. Pasta (we LOVE angel hair)
Next, bring your broth to a boil and add your garlic, peppers, and mushrooms. Reduce heat and simmer until mushrooms have shrunk. Now, drain the broth and measure 1 cup back into your sauce pan. Then add the TVP and stir until the broth is soaked up (This happens relatively quickly). Now, add your veggies back to the TVP and pour in the sauce. This may require a bigger pot. Simmer for a little while to allow everything to heat up and serve over noodles.
Note: Adding a couple serrano peppers can give it a little bit of a kick if you like that sort of thing.
Developed and writen by Carl McMinn