Vegan Garlic Butter Pasta
This is my go-to weeknight meal when I’m short on energy and don’t want to spend on takeout. The butter infused with garlic and red pepper flakes is what makes this easy dinner so delicious.
Noodles and butter was a staple for most of my life, and adulthood is no exception.
I made a pasta dish with broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, and two different kinds of cheeses before I was vegan, and loved the method of infusing the oil with spice before mixing it into the pasta. In this recipe, I have used the method I learned from that recipe to infuse minced garlic and red pepper flakes into butter.
This meal contains all of the comfort of the noodles and butter I ate growing up, and is fancied up a notch by the infused butter, almonds, cilantro, and lemon. The extra effort required is minimal and completely worth it.
This meal has been a weeknight staple of mine for months, and I have avoided a large takeout bill as a result. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Vegan Garlic Butter Pasta
Equipment
- Large saucier or dutch oven
- Small saucepan
- Colander
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta of choice I like rotini and cavatappi
- 2-3 handfuls cilantro or other green chopped
- 3 tbsp vegan butter I use Earth Balance
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- Generous sprinkle of red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- Juice from ¼ lemon
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan or dutch oven with water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, mince garlic finely. Do not double the garlic amount — keep in mind there should be more butter than garlic, and a finer mince will increase the garlic's flavor.
- Once water is boiling, add salt until the water tastes as salty as the ocean. Add pasta and cook according to time listed on package. Chop off a few handfuls of cilantro or other green you have and set aside.
- When there are 5 minutes left in the pasta cook time, heat butter in a small saucepan on medium heat. Once the butter melts and is simmering well throughout, add garlic and red pepper flakes to your liking. Allow to simmer for about 20 seconds, swirling the mixture around in the pan once or twice.
- Once pasta is cooked to your liking, drain in a colander and add it back to the pan. Add the garlic butter, chopped green, almonds, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Season with salt (if needed) and black pepper. Enjoy!