If you knew my maiden name, you might guess I’m a pasta snob. I’m not. I’m just as happy – if not more so – with fun, Teflon-extruded shapes from the dollar store as I am with organic hand-cut noodles. And please, cook them all a minute beyond al dente for me.
Contrarily, I also want these sauce vehicles ASAP – especially when I’ve been testing dessert recipes all day. Give me something to rush a forkful of vegetables into my system!
I was shopping under such circumstances when I noticed a new line of San Giorgio Protein Pastas on sale at my local grocery store. I bought them primarily for their price, secondarily for their macronutrient content. (I needed to balance a sugary afternoon.)
Ooh, a recipe!
As though I needed more, the Baked Twirls Florentine recipe on the back of San Giorgio Protein Rotini (Proteini? Protini?) caught my eye. Perhaps anything with spinach and tomatoes would’ve sounded good after a day of tasting cakes!
Yet there was another element between this and the other San Giorgio Protein Pasta recipes that spoke to my work, specifically my product reviews. I picked up all five varieties and prepared myself for another round of tasty research.
got milk?
Baked Twirls Florentine calls for cream cheese, milk, Parmesan, and mozzarella.
Angel Hair with Tomatoes and Basil also calls for Parmesan.
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese calls for sour cream, milk, two kinds of shredded cheese, and more Parmesan.
And lastly, Creamy Citrus-Herb Spinach Penne calls for butter, milk, and – Can you guess? – even more Parmesan.
Like the Make-It-Mine Cheesecake recipe I veganized, this collection of formulae enabled me to test how – or if – my product review winners and other go-to ingredients work together in savory contexts. (SPOILER ALERT: They do, and very well at that!)
Twirls, Twists, and Turns
Four dairy-laden recipes I encountered veganized without a hitch:
- Angel Hair with Tomatoes and Basil (coming soon)
- Baked Twirls Florentine (below)
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (coming soon)
- Creamy Citrus-Herb Spinach Penne (coming soon)
The fifth one, Spaghetti with Creamy Avocado Lemon Sauce, is vegan! But it’s disappointing by comparison. With a whole onion against a mild avocado and mere tablespoon (15 mL/g) of lemon juice, there’s little other flavor. Besides, an entire avocado – even a nearly overripe one – doesn’t blend with so little liquid.
The sight of a vegan recipe led me to believe this lifestyle was a forethought, but the dish itself tasted like an afterthought. Stick with transforming their other creations!
Veganization: Baked Twirls Florentine
Description
SEE: Note to learn why I recommend specific brands! I have a growing collection of reverse-engineered products in case you can't find them or simply want to make your own. (I stress growing because I may not have developed the recipe for the product you need yet.)
Use a legume-based or -enriched pasta to hit all four macronutrient groups: carbohydrate, fat, protein, and fiber. This casserole already delivers micronutrients galore!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Bring “cream cheese” and any chilled ingredients (besides spinach) to room temperature.
You’ll be glad to have softened “cream cheese” for Step 6! -
If desired, make tomato sauce.
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Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
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Thaw spinach according to package directions, then drain and set aside.
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Meanwhile, cook pasta 2 min less than desired firmness according to package directions. Reserve about ½ cup (120 mL/g) cooking water before draining and returning pasta to pot. Toss with reserved water and sauce, then set aside.
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Mix “cream cheese” and “milk” until smooth, switching from a spoon to a whisk if necessary to remove lumps. Stir in drained spinach (from Step 4), nutritional yeast, and nutmeg. Set aside.
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Spread half the pasta mixture into a 9x13-in (23x33-cm) casserole. Top with spinach mixture, then layer on remaining pasta. Evenly sprinkle with “mozzarella”.
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Tent casserole with foil, then bake 30 min. Remove foil and turn on broiler (or, increase heat to 450-500°F/230-260°C) for 3-5 min, until “cheese” is completely melted and possibly starts to bubble and brown.
Vegan cheeses behave much differently from one another than dairy cheeses. At the time of this writing, Daiya products bubble and brown at high temperatures; others, however, may not. -
Allow 5 min to cool and set before serving.
Note
Read why I recommend Violife block-style cream cheese alternative and Daiya dairy-free shreds!
Plus, checkout my other veganized easy pasta dinners:
- Angel Hair with Tomatoes and Basil (coming soon)
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese (coming soon)
- Creamy Citrus-Herb Spinach Penne (coming soon)
