Monday, October 12, 2009

VeganMoFo 12: My Pasta Monster

Week-of-Mr. Vegan Eats & Treats wouldn't be complete without PASTA. There is no more direct path to Mr. VE&Ts' heart than via a big bowl of pasta. When his nephews were little kids he used to have Pasta Monster pasta-eating celebrations with them at the dinner table. He is always wanting to eat pasta. Sometimes, when he is feeling very gourmet, he will make me pasta... which involves boiling noodles and adding jarred sauce. Mind you, this is unfortunately not my favorite dinner, but when I feel tired and I feel like being nice, I will acquiecse and let him make us some pasta!

Fortunately, though, we did discover this delicious "Hearty Artichoke Tomato Sauce" by Lucini. You see, after having spent quite a bit of time in Italy, I am a bit of a pasta snob. Most jarred sauces are not yummy to me. But this fancy stuff is really quite nice. It's pricey ($7.00!), but then again, that's cheaper than take-out for 2 on a lazy night. I like it because it doesn't have sugar in it, and it's got actual big chunks of artichoke... you can actually taste all the ingredients.

Along with the pasta I made some of the Roasted Brussel Sprouts from Vegan with a Vengeance, another Mr. VE&T favorite. When Mr. VE&Ts and I were first living together, he was always trying to convince me that brussel sprouts were so delicious, and I wasn't too enthusiastic. Then, when VwaV came out, and I discovered this recipe, a whole new world of roasted brussels opened up before me. For that, I will be forever grateful to Isa (author of VwaV)... she restored psuedo-matriomonial vegetable harmony in our non-wedded household.

While we are on the topic of Mr. VE&Ts and pasta... let me tell you the story of my spaghetti server. See, we had a crappy little plastic one, and it broke or melted or somehow met its demise. So I went to the local kitchen store and bought myself a really nice spaghetti server. But here's the problem, Mr. VE&Ts has a VERY itchy back. It's always "ooooh, scratch my back!" this and "ooooh, scratch my back!" that. It's always "up, to the left, down, to the right, up up UP UP!" Gentle readers, I get a little weary. So, one year for Christmas I gave Mr. VE&Ts a nice little bamboo backscratcher which lasted for a while, until one way or another, that poor backscratcher broke...

... and in a fit of itchy desperation, my lovely spaghetti server became Mr. VE&Ts trusty back-scratcher. Yes, Mr. VE&Ts sleeps with a spaghetti server by his bedside, and I had to go out and get myself a new one for the kitchen.

Mr. VE&Ts favorite song for today:

12 comments:

  1. the things you learn about your friends on the internet...

    xo
    kittee

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  2. Holy scmoley 7 dollars a jar it better be good! It looks fab and you're right - a lot cheaper then getting a take out.
    :)

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  3. Hahah! I love the spaghetti back scratcher! And I also love that gorgeous mound of pasta, beautiful!

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  4. I'll have to try that sauce. Making our own has ruined bottled sauce for us, but I'm afraid to try the fancy expensive ones in case they're just as bad.

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  5. Love the brussel sprouts!

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  6. Looks like you found a great jar of pasta sauce. It's hard to come by when you make your own sauce.

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  7. Mmm. I grew up with an Italian father, so I'm a biggg pasta lover. I have to keep myself from eating pasta too often, because i could seriously eat it for every meal.

    and i'm loving Mr VE&T's back scratcher. he seems like a total goober!

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  8. Haha! My boyfriend DOES THE SAME THING!!! I need to get him a spaghetti server. Spaghetti is actually our special meal. The bf doesn't like most vegan food (he lives on Ramen, steak, and canned soups...and that makes him happy), but he loves my homemade spaghetti. He makes the mushrooms. I make the sauce, and we can actually enjoy one meal together...

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  9. Your version of jarred pasta sauce sounds way better than our version of jarred sauce. Maybe Mr. VE&T could offer his handy (sorry) idea for the pasta server to the manufacturer, and have it printed on the label to help others make use of its full potential. :)

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  10. I also love Isa for the roasted brussel sprout idea!

    That jarred pasta sauce reminds me one you used to be able to get in the UK but it got discontinued & I miss it, I should stop being lazy & try to recreate it!

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  11. Roasted brussels in the house! Mmmmm...

    Haha, my bf plays the back scratching game too. up...right...more right...no, left...down, down!

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