The Mediterranean Vegan

Pasta alla norma is a traditional Sicilian dish, most popular in the city of Catania, Italy. There are various theories as to its name, meaning "standard or normal pasta" in English. One revolves around playwright Nino Catania Martoglio, who when referring to the quality of the dish and its ingredients, stated "è una norma!". I must give credit to my Italian friend Francesco for creating this recipe, though he refuses to claim it without the essential ingredient of ricotta cheese that is normally present in the dish. Serves 5 What you need: 1/2 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp olive oil 2 eggplants/aubergines, sliced 10 tomatoes, diced 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper fresh basil 1 box tubular pasta Prepare the eggplants by slicing them and rubbing them with salt. Lay the slices flat between two cutting boards or plates and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Press down on the cutting board, squeezing any excess liquid out of the eggplants, and rinse. After rinsing, dice...

The Greek version of the Italian lasanga , pastitsio consists of a creamy béchamel sauce, pasta, and traditionally, lamb meat. You can be creative here with the substitutions. I used tvp, but I can see a variety of things working with this dish (lentils, soy, seitan, mushroom). Serves 4-6 What you need: for the filling 3 tbsp margarine or olive oil 1 yellow onion, diced 2 cups texturized vegetable protein (tvp), dry 4 tbsp tomato paste 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp salt 2 cups vegetable broth 1/2 cup red wine 1/4 cup bread crumbs for the béchamel 3 tbsp margarine 4 tbsp flour 4 cups plain soy milk pinch of salt pinch of nutmeg for the pasta 3 cups dry tubular pasta 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup bread crumbs Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Bring pot of water to a boil, add 1 tbsp of olive oil, and cook pasta until al dente . Strain and set aside. In a large pan, melt the 3 tbsp butter on medium-high heat and add the chopped onion. Sauté for 10 minutes or until the onion is tran...

This spaghetti dish, meaning "whore's spaghetti" in Italian, consists of a salty, spicy tomato sauce that proves a nice variation from the traditional marinara. It is usually made with anchovies, but I omitted them for this recipe. Buon appetito! Sauce serves 2 What you need: 3 tbsp olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, diced 1-2 chili peppers, minced 1 tbsp capers 3-4 tbsp black olives, sliced 5 tomatoes, grated 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 tsp fresh parsley spaghetti noodles In a saucepan on medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 10 minutes or until the garlic had just reached golden. Add the salt, pepper, sugar, diced chili peppers, olives, capers, and grated tomatoes and keep on medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Serve on spaghetti noodles and sprinkle fresh parsley on top.

This hearty soup from France's Provence region is made of summer vegetables, beans, potatoes, and pasta. It is topped off with the French pistou sauce, similiar to the Italian pesto but without the pine nuts. Though it is a summer food in France, I find it to be a perfect meal on a cold winter night. What you need: 4 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped 2 leeks, chopped 2 cups green beans, chopped 1 zucchini, chopped 2 cups white beans, cooked or canned (without juice) 4 tomatoes, chopped 7 cups water 4 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper for the pistou sauce 1 cup packed fresh basil 4 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp salt 4 tbsp olive oil In a large pot, sauté the onions, leeks, carrots, and potatoes in olive oil for 10 minutes or until slightly soft (but not brown). Add the green beans and zucchini and sauté for another 7 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and water and cook until the broth begins to boil. Add the white beans and tomatoes and cook for ...

There are several debated methods for this French staple ratatouille. Here is a simple recipe for the dish. It can be served with rice, bread, or pasta. My friend Adrianna and I made it with whole wheat pasta. Serves 4 What you need: 1 eggplant, diced 1 zucchini, diced 1 onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, diced 2 carrots, diced 1 bell pepper, diced 5 tomatoes, diced 3 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp basil 1 tsp marjoram 2 tbsp olive oil In a large pan, sauté onions and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil until soft (around 15 minutes). Add in tomatoes and stir occasionally for another 7 minutes. Add all other vegetables and spices and cover, stirring occasionally for around 30 until all vegetables are cooked thoroughly. Remove lid and let cook for another 1o minutes until the sauce thickens. Add more salt and pepper if necessary and enjoy as a side or sauce.

Kushari is one of the most popular dishes in Egypt and happens to be vegan! Enjoy. Serves 2-3 What you need: 1 cup white rice, cooked 1 cup pasta (any kind), cooked 1 cup lentils, cooked or canned 1/2 cup chickpeas/garbanzo beans (optional) 2 cups tomato sauce (with or without vegetables) 1 tsp red pepper flakes 1/2 onion, diced 1 tbsp margarine salt pepper Make the rice, pasta, and lentils according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, make the simple tomato sauce . Add the red pepper flakes to the tomato sauce while cooking. Add diced onion and margarine to a small pan and fry until caramelized (around 25-20 minutes). Mix the rice, pasta, and lentils together. Top with the tomato sauce and caramelized onions. Add salt and pepper to your liking. You're done!