Here’s a delicious lunch or dinner recipe that you can choose to make as either a vegetarian or a vegan meal! It’s simple and you can choose to either make it for a get-together or meal prep for the week!

Recipe adapted from the NY Times Cooking with some slight adjustments. Makes approximately 4 servings.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil*
• 1 cup finely chopped onion (1 small onion should suffice)
• 5 cloves of garlic (if you don’t have any garlic you could substitute with garlic powder*, but not as tasty)
• 1 pound of your long pasta choice (spaghetti, fettuccine, angel hair pasta) *
• salt and pepper*
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (substitute with any oil such as olive oil or coconut oil if trying to make it vegan)
• 1 lb fresh baby spinach
• 1-2 cups of grape/cherry tomatoes depending on your preference
• red pepper flakes if you want a little kick (optional)
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan (substitute with 50% nutritional yeast: 50% Parmesan or completely with nutritional yeast*)
• 1/2 cup grated Provolone or Gouda (optional or can substitute with vegan cheese)

How to Make it Zero Waste:

• All ingredients marked with * can be bought in bulk at stores like Whole Foods, Co-ops, WinCo, etc. Check out my post on buying in bulk to find the link to search for a bulk store near you.
• For produce (onion, garlic, spinach, cherry tomatoes) when possible to buy your ingredients locally.
• For butter, make sure that you are buying it within the wax paper (clear white) as it can be composted afterward.
• For cheese, go to your deli or cheese counter and have them either wrap it in paper or bring your beeswax wrap or container for them to wrap it in.

Tools Needed:

• Pot to boil pasta
• Large pan or wok to saute in
• measuring cups
• tablespoon
• Pasta fork
• Wooden or silicone spoon
• large nonstick skillet or wok

Instructions:

1. Boil salted water and cook your pasta of choice while preparing step two. Make sure to mix the pasta around with your pasta fork so the pasta does not stick together.
2. Heat oil in your large skillet or wok over medium heat. To make the “sauce,” add the onion and garlic to sautee, stirring occasionally until light gold. Then add in the grape tomatoes to sautee looking for the skin to be slightly wilted. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
3. When pasta is finished, drain the water and add it into your skillet or wok with the garlic, onion, and tomatoes. Add in the butter, stirring occasionally waiting for butter to melt and for the “sauce” to thicken, which will take about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add in the spinach, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Keep stirring and cook till the spinach is wilted.
5. Stir in the Parmesan and/or nutritional yeast and lemon juice.
6. Taste the dish to see if you would like more salt and pepper. If desired, then add provolone or gouda on top as well.