Meatless Pasta Dishes for Lent or Anytime

Pasta is a very versatile food that can be prepared in many ways. Experimentation may lead to exciting taste temptations with some form of pasta at center stage.

Though many people think of pasta, or macaroni, as being served with meat based sauces, several vegetarian possibilities exist limited only by the imagination of the cook.

Pasta with peas is a simple, tasty, and inexpensive dish to make. Though it can be made with any type of pasta, it is usually prepared with smaller shapes of macaroni such as ditalini or elbows. To make the sauce, put a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan. Heat the oil and add a few cloves of chopped garlic. Sauté the garlic until it is soft and beginning to brown. (Garlic powder may be substituted for the chopped garlic in any of these recipes but care must be taken as it progresses from brown to burnt very quickly.) Lower the heat and carefully add a 28 ounce can of tomato sauce. Add about a tablespoon of dried parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Prepare the pasta as directed on the box. When the pasta has five minutes to cook, open and drain a 16-ounce can of green peas and add it to the sauce. Drain the cooked pasta, add the sauce with peas to it, mix well and serve. Add grated cheese if desired.

Pasta with beans is perhaps even easier than pasta and peas to prepare. Start preparation of this dish by heating a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan. Add some chopped garlic and sauté until soft and beginning to brown. While the garlic is browning, open two cans of beans and do not drain them. This dish is usually prepared with white beans such as great northern, navy, or cannelli but could be made with any kind or combination of canned beans. When the garlic is starting to brown, lower the heat, and carefully add two cans of beans, with their liquid, of the variety of your choosing, season as desired with salt and pepper, and stir. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 15-20 minutes. While the beans are heating, prepare the pasta as directed on the box. Small elbow macaroni is usually preferred when making this dish although any type of macaroni could be used. When the pasta is cooked and drained, add the bean mix and enjoy.

Pasta with garlic and oil is a very easy dish to prepare as well. Start this simple sauce by sautéing garlic in a little olive oil until slightly browned. Add an additional cup of oil and then carefully add about a cup of water. Heat the oil, garlic, and water mixture. Long cuts of pasta such as angel hair, spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine are usually served with this sauce. Cook the pasta as directed on the box, drain, add the oil mixture, and serve.

These recipes demonstrate just a few examples of the versatility of pasta. Fulfilling your Lenten obligations can be easy with just a little culinary experimentation. Bon appetit!