Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

🥘 Ingredients

• Roasted Red Pepper Sauce 1 cup
• ridged pasta 12 oz
• kosher salt
• cremini or white button mushrooms 4 ½ oz
• Toasted Walnuts 1 cup
• Walnut Spices 1 tbsp
• soy sauce 2 tsp
• extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
• nutritional yeast 2 tbsp
• lemon 1
• capers 3 tbsp
• flat-leaf parsley 1 cup
• black pepper

1. 1

   Take the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce out of the fridge. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil for the pasta. While the water comes to a boil, prepare your side salad (if you're making one).
2. 2

   Cook the pasta. Once the water is boiling, salt it generously. Add the ridged pasta and kosher salt . Cook for the minimum time listed on the box for al dente.
3. 3

   Before draining, reserve about 1 cup (240 mL) of pasta water (about 2 ladles). Drain the pasta, but do not rinse it. Keep the pot handy.
4. 4

   Prep the Walnut-Mushroom Meat. Dab the cremini or white button mushrooms with a paper towel, then add to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (don't blend into a paste). Add the Toasted Walnuts , Walnut Spices and soy sauce . Blend a few times, followed by several quick pulses, until finely chopped but not smooth like pâté.
5. 5

   Fry the Walnut-Mushroom Meat. Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick pan with extra virgin olive oil . Once hot, add the "meat." Cook for 6-8 minutes , stirring occasionally, until slightly crisp and browned in spots (if it starts to burn, lower the heat). Remove from the heat; set aside.
6. 6

   Pour the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce into the pot used for the pasta. Add the hot cooked pasta and nutritional yeast . Toss to combine.
7. 7

   Over medium-high heat, toss vigorously with tongs until the pasta is well coated, adding about 1/2 cup (120 mL) of pasta water to bring the sauce together, adding more as needed.
8. 8

   Off the heat, stir in half of the lemon , 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, capers , flat-leaf parsley and a few cracks of black pepper . Taste, adding more lemon zest or juice and salt/pepper as desired.
9. 9

   Divide the pasta between bowls, then top each bowl with some of the Walnut-Mushroom Meat and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve with your side salad, if you made one.