Once upon a time when I was in college I was stuck at my temp job with no food, no money and a killer hangover. I begged my boyfriend at the time to bring me some food and less than half an hour later he showed with this chick peas and peas pasta dish. I swear he saved my life that day plus this creation started my love affair with chick peas. I've been making this dish for over a decade now and it has gone through several changes since the original (olive oil, garlic, onions, chick peas, peas, s & p) was presented to me. It really is one of the easiest and tastiest things you can throw together when in a hurry especially since most of the ingredients are simple staples. This recipe lends itself well to a variety of flavors so feel free to experiment with other vegetables tossed in.

Chick Peas and Green Peas Pasta

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Earth Balance
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of cooked chick peas
1 cup frozen green peas
1 3/4 cups of rice milk
1 cup shredded vegan cheese (optional)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp fresh pepper
8-10 ounces cooked pasta, preferably shells or penne

1. Warm olive oil and Earth Balance in a large saute pan over medium high heat and add onions with a dash of salt. Cook until clear and fragrant. Add garlic and stir to mix well.
2.  Add chick peas, peas, and rice milk. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add shredded vegan cheese (if using) and the rest of the ingredients except the pasta. Cook for an additional ten minutes or until all the flavors are combined and sauce is creamy. Toss in pasta and serve with fresh ground black pepper. 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 bowls

 I used to hate mushrooms. It was a vehement hate until one day when I was 21 somebody forced me to try a mushroom rosemary cream sauce. I was instantly hooked, quickly thereafter obsessed and now I can't imagine my life without mushrooms. This recipe is reminiscent of that creamy sauce that seduced me so many years ago. I'm sure there is a way to make this a delicate, silky sauce but I much prefer it potent and full of garlic.

Mushroom Rosemary Fettuccine

2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp earth balance
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups of crimini or white mushrooms
2 cups of soy milk
2 rosemary stalks, finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast (optional)
dash of cayenne (optional)
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper

5-6 ounces of fettuccine, cooked according to package directions

1) Warm oil and earth balance in a heavy skillet over medium high heat.
2) Add garlic and toss for 30 seconds.
3) Add mushrooms, stirring constantly until cooked down more than halfway.
4) Add chopped rosemary and a fair amount of salt and fresh pepper to the mushrooms.
5) Add soymilk and reduce heat to medium.
6) Once soymilk is warm, add lemon juice. This will cause the soymilk to curdle and thicken.
7) Stir in the nutritional yeast and cayenne, if using.
8) Once sauce is warmed through and lightly bubbling, add cooked fettuccine. Toss to coat, adding more soymilk if necessary. 
9) Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes
Servings: 3-4