Vegan & Gluten Free Penne alla Vodka

Vegan. Gluten free. Penne alla vodka. Say LESS.

Pasta is one of my favorite things to meal prep for the week, especially because it's super easy to make gluten and dairy free. Brown rice, lentil, or chickpea pastas are my favorite substitutes for gluten-friendly meals. Unsweetened/unflavored oat milk and canned coconut milk are my two favorite dairy subs to make the sauces creamier.

For all my non-vegans out there, you can add chicken sausage or turkey meatballs for extra protein. I like my meals extra spicy, so I add a jalapeño chicken sausage and exxxtra red pepper flakes. Feel free to add any veggies you love to this. I used zucchini but also love bella mushrooms in this dish. For the vodka, I used Grey Goose because it was all I had, but any smooth vodka works great (Smirnoff, Tito's, Skyy, etc.).

- makes 2 servings -

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp minced garlic

• 2 tbsp olive oil + an extra drizzle

• 1/2 medium white onion

• 1 medium zucchini

• GF penne pasta (follow serving recommendation on packaging, or cook whole bag)

• 1/2 cup tomato paste

• 2 oz vodka

• 1/2 cup oat milk

• 1/4 cup canned coconut milk

• 1 tsp garlic salt

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Fresh basil

• For spicy option: red pepper flakes

• Non-vegan option: chicken sausage or meatballs

DIRECTIONS

1. Sauté the minced garlic in a medium or large pan. Add the tablespoon of olive oil when garlic is fragrant; about 30 seconds.

2. Mince the white onion and add to the pan. Mix onion and garlic, then chop and add in the zucchini. I cut mine into fourth's. Cook on medium heat.

3. Add your spices to the pan. Garlic salt, pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes to your liking (I like extra red pepper flakes).

4. In a large pot, cook your pasta. Boil the water, add in a dash of salt, and cook your pasta. I used Trader Joe's brown rice pasta (it's my favorite).

5. In the pan with your veggies, add in the tomato paste, vodka, oat milk, and coconut milk. Stir everything together until a thick sauce forms. Drizzle the extra olive oil and stir occasionally. Let simmer.

6. Once your pasta is done, take 1/4 cup of the pasta water and add to the pan with the sauce. Mix in your pasta and stir until well combined.

7. If using extra protein, cook your sausage or meatballs in a separate pan. Add to the pata and mix.

8. Serve the pasta and top with fresh basil. Enjoy!