Meera Sodha's vegan recipe for fava bean and arugula shortcrust pastry | The new vegan
We have to talk about lasagna sheets. I always have a box in the closet, though I rarely put the time and effort into making a lasagna (a biannual event at most). Unlike most other pasta, where the shape dictates what you make of it, lasagna is the most flexible of all in that you can break it up however you like. Here I used them to mimic fazzoletti, or handkerchief pasta, which is usually served with pesto. Here I used fava beans and arugula as a base for a sort of pesto and chopped them with toasted almonds, nutritional yeast and lemon.
Broad bean and arugula shortcrust pastry< p class="dcr-3jlghf" > You will need a blender or food processor. Nutritional yeast adds a deep, savory flavor and is widely available in supermarkets. To thaw the beans quickly, pour a little boiling water, let stand for a minute, then drain. Most dried lasagna sheets are naturally vegan (but check, some contain eggs).Prep 10 minCook 20 minServes 4
75g slivered almonds200g frozen fava beans, thawed, or about 600g fresh fava beans in the pod1 garlic clove, peeled120ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more to finish2 tbsp nutritional yeast3 tbsp lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)100g wild arugulaFine sea salt350g dried lasagne, broken in half (or large slivers)
Put a skillet over medium heat until hot, then add all the slivered almonds and cook, stirring every 30 seconds, for three to four minutes, until golden. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking.
Put the beans, garlic, oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, 75g of arugula, 50g of almonds and three-quarters teaspoon of salt in a food processor and process until you get a coarse pesto-like texture.
Bring two liters of water to a boil, then add two teaspoons of salt. Stir the water vigorously, then add the pasta and boil for about eight minutes, until tender but still a little crisp. Take a cup of cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Return the drained pasta to the still hot pan, pour in the sauce and about 200 ml of reserved water and stir vigorously, so that each piece of pasta is evenly coated in the sauce. Check the seasoning, adding a little more salt or extra pasta water as needed for taste and texture: you want a loose sauce, but one that still clings to each piece of pasta.
Divide the pasta among plates or shallow bowls and place a small handful of the remaining 25g arugula in the center of each mound. Scatter the remaining 25g of almonds on top, generously drizzle each serving with olive oil and serve.
We have to talk about lasagna sheets. I always have a box in the closet, though I rarely put the time and effort into making a lasagna (a biannual event at most). Unlike most other pasta, where the shape dictates what you make of it, lasagna is the most flexible of all in that you can break it up however you like. Here I used them to mimic fazzoletti, or handkerchief pasta, which is usually served with pesto. Here I used fava beans and arugula as a base for a sort of pesto and chopped them with toasted almonds, nutritional yeast and lemon.
Broad bean and arugula shortcrust pastry< p class="dcr-3jlghf" > You will need a blender or food processor. Nutritional yeast adds a deep, savory flavor and is widely available in supermarkets. To thaw the beans quickly, pour a little boiling water, let stand for a minute, then drain. Most dried lasagna sheets are naturally vegan (but check, some contain eggs).Prep 10 minCook 20 minServes 4
75g slivered almonds200g frozen fava beans, thawed, or about 600g fresh fava beans in the pod1 garlic clove, peeled120ml extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little more to finish2 tbsp nutritional yeast3 tbsp lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)100g wild arugulaFine sea salt350g dried lasagne, broken in half (or large slivers)
Put a skillet over medium heat until hot, then add all the slivered almonds and cook, stirring every 30 seconds, for three to four minutes, until golden. Pour into a bowl to stop the cooking.
Put the beans, garlic, oil, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, 75g of arugula, 50g of almonds and three-quarters teaspoon of salt in a food processor and process until you get a coarse pesto-like texture.
Bring two liters of water to a boil, then add two teaspoons of salt. Stir the water vigorously, then add the pasta and boil for about eight minutes, until tender but still a little crisp. Take a cup of cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Return the drained pasta to the still hot pan, pour in the sauce and about 200 ml of reserved water and stir vigorously, so that each piece of pasta is evenly coated in the sauce. Check the seasoning, adding a little more salt or extra pasta water as needed for taste and texture: you want a loose sauce, but one that still clings to each piece of pasta.
Divide the pasta among plates or shallow bowls and place a small handful of the remaining 25g arugula in the center of each mound. Scatter the remaining 25g of almonds on top, generously drizzle each serving with olive oil and serve.
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