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Recipes / Savoury

Vegan Falafel Pasta

Is it just me, or is falafel one of those dishes you’re never quite sure if you love it or hate it. Not in a marmite kind of way, but in a it’s-so-hit-and-miss way?

My mum also pronounces it Fal-a-Fell and I just don’t think that helps my position on it at all. I tried to homemake it for this recipe and I mean, it needs perfecting. I didn’t really want to fry it in the litre of oil it suggested, so I think that was my first wrong step.

However, regardless of my shoddy falafel making skills – this pasta was banging and would work really well with the shop bought variety. Also saves you mashing up tins of chickpeas on a Tuesday evening and to be honest, most of us could do without that.

I originally made this dish for Veganuary 2020. Not that I partook. While I’m living at home it’s not really a practical lifestyle change for me to make. I also find that after Christmas there’s always a lot of food to finish and the waste would be more of an issue for me. I have however made the decision to make vegan or vegetarian swaps as much as possible and limit my intake of animal products.

Chick(pea)s love balls.

Sorry, that was childish. Moving on.

This recipe is not only gluten free, but also a vegetable vegan haven. So, I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:

Zest Plant Power Pesto
Gluten free spaghetti
Butternut squash noodles (boodles)
The veggies: courgette, aubergine, mushrooms, pepper, onion, tomatoes and anything else you’ve got in the fridge!
Oil – I used Pure South Press Macadamia Oil
Grandma’s Salt Mix from Flying Tiger – I’ll always bang on about this.
Pomegranate seeds
Pine nuts

Method:

  1. If you’re homemaking falafel, crack on. If not – chuck those store bought babies in the oven.
  2. Cut your veggies so they’re chunky, add a tbsp of oil and sprinkle of grandma’s salt and pepper, mix and throw in the oven as well.
  3. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add your spaghetti. I microwaved my boodles, but if you want to boil they only need a few mins, so I’d say pop them in just before your spaghetti is done.
  4. It should all take about half an hour, when all is cooked, drain the spaghetti, give it a rinse and put it back in the saucepan on a low heat. Smother in Zest pesto and add in the veggies (spinach as well if you have it!)
  5. Once it’s all warmed through, plate up. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and pine nuts, add the falafel balls and enjoy.