10-Minute Vegan Avocado, Lemon & Caper Pasta

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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Another quick & easy one.  I used salted capers soaked in water for a few minutes but I think, when I make this again, I will use the more sharply-flavored traditional capers in brine.   This dish takes only as long as it takes to cook your pasta.

10-Minute Vegan Avocado, Lemon & Caper Pasta

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb dry pasta of your choice

2 avocados – cubed

Zest & juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves – minced

2 or more TBS capers (depending on your taste for them)

olive oil

Basil – chopped

Parsley – chopped

S&P

Crushed red pepper – optional

Lemon wedges as garnish

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta.

While it cooks – heat a TBS or 2 of olive oil in a small pan.  Add the garlic, capers & 1 of the cubed avocados.  Stir & heat for 1 minute & add the lemon zest & maybe a squeeze of lemon juice.  Set aside.

Drain the pasta and toss with the warm avocado, caper & olive oil mixture & some S&P.  Add crushed red pepper for a little kick.  Garnish with the second cubed avocado & the parsley & basil and lemon wedges.

Vegan Lemon, Salted Caper and White Bean Pasta

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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My friends Jackie O & Dennis gave me a little package of food delicacies for my birthday.  Among them was this jar (above & apologies for the focus) of salted capers (packed in salt rather than vinegar).  I had never seen these before & had to research them a bit.  As it turns out, the capers at the supermarket are packed in vinegar – making vinegar the overpowering flavor.  These guys in salt are reported to taste fresher & almost floral.  You need to soak them for at least 15 minutes to get that extra salt out but the longer you soak them – the less flavor they will ultimately have – so, I would not recommend soaking them more than an hour.  If you are using capers in vinegar – I’d recommend soaking those a bit, too, just to wash away some of the intensity of the vinegar.

I feel like a broken record but this dish really is easy & the flavors are light & delicate.  I used these fresh (non-vegan) noodles that I got at the Asian market but any pasta will do.

Vegan Lemon, Salted Caper and White Bean Pasta

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb pasta – cooked & drained & tossed in a bit of olive oil

1 (15 oz) can of white beans – drained & rinsed

1 large lemon – juiced & zested (for about 1/4 cup juice & several TBS zest)

3+ garlic cloves – minced

Salted (or other capers) – quantity is up to you & your taste for these guys – I used about 1/4 cup – soaked in water for 15-60 minutes

2 TBS olive oil

S&P

Parsley – chopped

Lemon wedges as garnish (optional)

Grated cheese (or vegan alternative) as garnish – (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Cook the pasta & toss with olive oil.  Drain & rinse the beans.

Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add the garlic & stir for one minute.  Add the beans & lemon juice & zest and capers.

Add the pasta & toss to incorporate everything.   Season with S&P & warm through.

Serve it up & drizzle with a good quality olive oil & garnish with parsley and maybe lemon wedges or grated cheese.  Lots of fresh cracked pepper is good, too!

Vegan Crispy Chickpea, Caper & Lemon Pasta

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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To see images of my past posts & get links to the recipes – look on my Pinterest board – HERE.

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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Some recipes are hard to photograph.  This one should not have been but I cannot help but feel I haven’t succeeded it translating visually how simple & delicious this is.  A few simple & easy-to-find ingredients & this is the kind of dish movie characters whip up in their kitchen late at night after a romantic dalliance.  The ratio or capers to chickpeas to lemon is kind of a matter of personal preference but I will tell you how much I used.  I LOVE lemon & I LOVE capers so – keep that in mind.

Crispy Chickpea, Caper & Lemon Pasta

Feeds 2 well

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb pasta

1 cup cooked (or canned) chickpeas

1/2 cup panko

1/4 cup capers

4 garlic cloves – chopped

1 TBS lemon zest

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

olive oil

S&P

Parsley and/or basil – chopped as garnish

Caperberries – as garnish (optional)

Parmesan (or vegan Parmesan) – optional but I did not use any cheese

Crushed Red Pepper – optional if you prefer some heat

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

I am IN LOVE with parchment paper!  It makes clean up so easy & NOTHING sticks to it.  If you have some – line a cooking sheet with it.  Otherwise – treat the pan with cooking spray.

Toss the chickpeas, garlic, panko & capers in a drizzle of olive oil – maybe 1 TBS or so.  Bake at 400 for twenty minutes.

Cook the pasta as per box & drain.

Toss the hot pasta & the warm chickpea mixture together with the lemon zest & juice.  Add S&P to taste.  Drizzle with a bit more olive oil.  Serve garnished with the chopped basil and/or parsley & some caperberries – if you so desire.

You can add Parmesan (or vegan Parmesan) or crushed red pepper if you are of that mind.

Eat that shit up!