Whole wheat pasta tossed in olive oil and served with fresh herbs and tomatoes.
When your life circumstances change, sometimes the best way to thrive is to adapt and change. When I realized that it wouldn’t work to eat dairy, I decided I needed to change the way I cook and learn to like foods that weren’t full of dairy.
When I was a kid, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese was part of my regular diet. We would add extra milk to make it creamier. If there were any leftovers the next day, we liked to fry the macaroni in butter until it was golden brown and crisp. I’m not sure which day it tasted better fresh or fried; they were both delicious.
When I was older I tried Martha Stewart’s recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese with bread crumbs toasted on top–amazing. But neither the homemade nor the Kraft versions are on my okay list now. All that creaminess and gooey, yummy cheese does not result in happy tummies for everyone.
I have tried a few non-dairy cheeses. They are impressive–nice flavor and easy melting, but they don’t taste like real dairy cheese. There are homemade, nut-based sauces that I need to try. One of the limiting factors for me is the price of cashews. If we love it, I might go bankrupt. Okay, so not really. But cashews are darn expensive.
Since we don’t eat macaroni and cheese, I think of ways to add flavor to the pasta, without dairy. I made this pasta for my son to eat before his backpacking trip. The fresh herbs from the garden are so full of flavor that I am content without the cheese.
I planted some of my herbs in terra-cotta pots this year. I’m going to try bringing them inside when it got cold and keep eating fresh herbs all winter long. I will let you know how it goes.
Pasta with Fresh Herbs
pasta
salt
olive oil
fresh basil
fresh oregano
fresh parsley
freshly ground pepper
tomatoes
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse. Drizzle some olive oil on the pasta. Add fresh chopped herbs and pepper. Serve with tomatoes.
Simple herb and olive oil pasta is my favourite, it’s so fresh tasting… You’re herbs look like they’re flourishing! Will the basil grow throughout the winter? I’d love to have fresh herbs all year long, but I know our cat would eat them all before I could get to them 😀
I don’t know if the herbs will survive. My toddler will be their greatest threat. I would love to eat them in the winter if they can survive.