Penne with Spinach and Basil – Vegan version

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Cooked pasta

1. 1
   Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water (4¼ cups of water and a heaping teaspoon of salt for every 4 oz of pasta), following the package directions (taste about 2 minutes early), until al dente.

   ⚙ Cooking in salted waterStovePot

   💡The water should taste like a seasoned soup, not like sea water: a heaping teaspoon of salt per liter. Add the salt once the water is boiling.
2. 2
   Drain.

   Colander

To assemble

1. 3
   Heat the canola oil in a wide pan over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveFrying pan
2. 4
   Add the garlic and fry 1 minute, until fragrant.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
3. 5
   Add the spinach and cook 2 minutes, stirring, until it wilts.

   Stove
4. 6
   Add the plant-based cooking cream and bring to a gentle boil. Turn down the heat and simmer 3–4 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.

   ⚙ SimmeringStove

   💡Reduce plant-based cooking cream at a gentle bubble, not a hard boil: a few minutes is enough for it to thicken, and loosen a sauce that got too thick with a spoonful of pasta water.

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
5. 7
   Add the drained pasta, season with nutmeg, salt and black pepper and toss for about a minute over low heat, until the sauce clings to the pasta.

   Stove
6. 8
   Add the Parmesan and stir, until it melts and the sauce is smooth.
7. 9
   Sprinkle the basil on top and serve immediately.