Hi friends!

Sending you into the weekend with one of those meal starter ideas that I keep mentioning this month. This easy vegan sausage mushroom marinara pasta isn’t a recipe (and I’m not sure that this share even constitutes a proper blog post!), but it’s one of the re-heatable dinners I’ve made most often for sustenance and comfort food during my DI. On the chance that one of you might come to enjoy it as much as I do, it’s worth writing down the process.

This meal definitely gets filed in the “semi-homemade” category. Within that, you’re encouraged to use any of the store-bought staples you like: your favorite marinara, your favorite vegan sausage (or you could use crumbled and sautéed tempeh, or cooked lentils), your pasta of choice (I used regular; go ahead and use gluten-free, bean pasta, whole grain—whatever suits you), and your favorite pasta topper. For me, that’s this walnut herb parm.

By the time the dish comes together, it’s filling, rich in plant-protein, packed with vegetables for nutritional heft, and—I think—pretty tasty for all of its simplicity. Here’s how I make it.

5 from 2 votes

Easy Vegan Sausage Mushroom Marinara Pasta

Author - Gena Hamshaw

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Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces pasta of choice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, or a few tablespoons vegetable broth
• 10 ounces sliced mushrooms (button, portobello, or cremini)
• 2 vegan sausages of choice (I like Field Roast Italian style), chopped or sliced, or 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils or vegan "beef" crumbles
• 1 lb bite-sized broccoli florets, or a 1-lb bag of frozen broccoli florets, defrosted according to instructions
• 1 25- ounce jar marinara of choice
• Vegan parmesan, for topping

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
• While the pasta boils, heat the oil or broth in a large, roomy, deep skillet. Add the mushrooms and sausage slices. Cook, stirring often, for 7-10 minutes, or until the mushrooms have released their juices and are completely tender. Add the broccoli (if fresh) to the skillet, cover, and allow it to steam cook for 3-4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. If using defrosted, add the broccoli to the skillet and heat through.
• Add the marinara sauce and pasta to the skillet. Mix everything and heat through. Divide into 4-5 portions and top with vegan parmesan of choice.

This may well be a lot less inspiring than many of you need, in which case don’t worry: I have another easy recipe planned for next week, but it’s a little more original than this one!

As I said, for those of you who might love this combination but not necessarily think to throw it together, I hope it’s a winning weeknight supper. Thanks for letting me share a low-key favorite with you.

And I’ll be back soon, for weekend reading.

xo