- 1 pkg. curly pasta*
- 1 1/2 cups corn
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 3/4 to 1 cup Cashew Cream
- 1/2 cup Vegan Feta
To start your mise en place, first, bring a large pot of water to a boil — once it boils, add a good amount of salt, just until the water tastes a bit salty. It’s a good idea to start cooking the pasta around the same time as you start the dish. Ideally, you want the pasta and the rest of the dish to be ready at the same time. When you drain the pasta, be sure to save a cup of the cooking liquid in case you need it later.
For the corn, if using fresh corn, which we highly recommend, cook it and then let it cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut the corn off of the cob — leave some of the bigger pieces that fall of when cutting. If using frozen corn, which is still fine, thaw it first and then drain it to remove any excess water.
Lastly, prepare the garlic and kale and be sure you have the Cashew Cream and Vegan Feta made. If you don’t have any vegan feta made, the dish is still pretty good without it but it does add a nice tangy twist to the dish.
- 1 to 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp Chili Powder, or to taste
To start the pasta, heat a large wide fry-pan or shallow pot over medium to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil, followed by the corn. Sauté the corn for a few minutes, or until it has heated through and there are a few golden brown pieces. Next, add the garlic and let cook for another 30 seconds or so.
Next, add the kale and cook for another 3 minutes or so — if needed, turn the heat down a bit. Cook the kale until it has just started to wilt down.
At this point add the pasta. Note: If the pasta is not yet ready, simply take the pan off the heat and let it sit while you wait for the pasta to finish.
Next, add half a cup or so of the cashew cream, along with the red pepper flakes and chili powder, and toss to combine.
Note if you do not have any of this particular Chili Powder, you can use any chili powder you have, just note that it might be spicier and also lend a different flavor profile to the final dish.
- 3 tbsp Plant-Based Parmesan
- 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tsp Chili Powder, or to taste
- lime wedges, to garnish
To finish the pasta, gently fold in a bit of the vegan feta and a few tablespoons of Plant-Based Parmesan, and the fresh cilantro. Taste for seasoning, adding a bit more salt and/or freshly ground black pepper as desired. If the pasta seems a bit too dry, either add a bit more cashew cream and/or add a bit of the reserved pasta water to thin it down a bit.
Serve the pasta with a bit more vegan feta and/or plant-based parmesan, lime wedges and chili powder, if desired.