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The rich, delicious flavor of this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes is like stepping into a sweet Italian grandma’s kitchen, smelling the aroma of tomatoes and garlic roasting creating anticipation to the delicious bowl of spaghetti you soon will be eating.

What to do with so many cherry tomatoes?

I was trying to figure out what to do with the abundance of cherry tomatoes that are growing now when I came up with the idea to create this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh roasted tomatoes.  

How To Roast Cherry Tomatoes

Roasting them was easy. I do have a tip, however, to get the roasted tomatoes to hold their flavor and shape. After cutting them in half, toss them in a colander and sprinkle salt on them. Let them rest there for 30 mins in your sink.  This will help draw the moisture out. After that pat, any excess moisture of with paper towel and then place the tomatoes in a dry bowl for the next step,  seasoning.  I also put sliced zucchini in the with the tomatoes and garlic to add another layer of flavor.

Fresh herbs are always best if you have them to make this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes.  If not most groceries sell the plants now in the produce section. I find them cheaper than the little packs they sell and I can get several trimmings off of them if I keep them watered.

I have a hydroponic garden tower that I have all my herbs for this recipe growing in. I have been able to keep this going year round, but I do have to pull it into our garage in the winter and use plant lights.

For this light pasta meal, I ramped up the nutrition and cut out the gluten by using Trader Joe’s Brown Rice & Quinoa Spaghetti Pasta.  Quinoa is an excellent alternative choice to wheat pasta since it doesn’t get mushy when it’s cooked. It tends to be higher in protein than other gluten-free varieties, and it contains high amounts of fiber and iron. Another plus, it cooks quickly and does not clump together like other grain alternative pasta.

Quick Vegan Cheese Topping  Substitute

I also created something a little different for this recipe to go with this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes, I wanted to a topping like cheese but I’m vegan. So I created an alternative that I like even better than parmesan cheese.  I mixed dried Italian bread crumbs equally with nutritional yeast, tossing to mix and then sprinkled on top of my spaghetti.

Another great pasta dish to try is Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach. It’s a one-pot wonder of creamy light lemon and garlic flavors that is an easy healthy vegan meal your entire family will love.

Spaghetti Sauce With Fresh Tomatoes

• Author: Gina ~ Intentional Hospitality

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The rich, delicious flavor of this homemade spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes is like stepping into a sweet Italian grandma’s kitchen, smelling the aroma of tomatoes and garlic roasting creating anticipation to the delicious bowl of spaghetti you soon will be eating.

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Ingredients

3 cups of cherry tomatoes in various sizes and colors

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup garlic cloves peeled and cut in half

1 cup diced zucchini, about the size of the tomatoes

1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup of fresh chopped herbs such as parsley, oregano, basil, and thyme. Divide these into half portions

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Trader Joe’s Brown Rice & Quinoa Spaghetti Pasta

Vegan Cheese Topping

1/4 cup fine Italian bread crumbs

1/4 nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

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Instructions

Cut tomatoes in half, place in a colander.  Sprinkle with salt lightly and toss. Allow draining in the sink for 30 minutes. This will help release some of the moisture from the tomatoes which will help them roast quicker and hold their shape better

Fill a large pan with water, bring to a boil. Drop in 2 servings of spaghetti and cook until done.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper

After 30 minutes, pat the tomatoes excess moisture off with paper towels.

Place tomatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and then add 1/4 cup of herbs, garlic, zucchini, pepper, salt, and crushed red peppers. Toss gently until all coated, then place on parchment paper

Roast tomatoes mixture at 400 degrees for 35 minutes without stirring or until most of the moisture has evaporated. Remove from oven.

Place cooked pasta in a large bowl, add cooked tomato mixture over pasta, add balsamic vinegar and 1/4 cup fresh herbs and toss to coat evenly.

Sprinkle vegan cheese topping over pasta when serving.

Vegan Cheese Topping  Substitute

Place Italian bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, and salt in a bowl. Stir until well mixed, set aside until ready to use. 

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Keywords: Spaghetti Sauce With Fresh Tomatoes

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Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach is a one-pot wonder of creamy light lemon and garlic flavors that is an easy healthy vegan meal your entire family will love.

The secret to creamy almost cheesy vegan spaghetti.

The key to making this lemon spaghetti rich and creamy is surprisingly in the pasta you choose and the way you cook it.  I use quinoa and brown rice past so that I can serve a gluten-free dish.

Quinoa is a seed that packs a punch for nutrition. Quinoa pasta is my favorite alternative to wheat pasta because when you serve it you can’t tell the difference from regular pasta.   It’s a whole grain that is loaded with plenty of fiber, protein, and 25% of your daily need for iron.

I buy my quinoa and brown rice noodles from Trader Joes.  It’s over an hour’s drive for me to get to our closest one so sometimes I order them off of Amazon. They are one of my favorite pasta products and I keep them stocked in my pantry regularly.

The secret to making a creamy sauce is the process of cooking the quinoa and rice noodles directly in the vegetable broth and coconut milk.  Quinoa is a seed that puts off starch when cooked, it’s like a natural rue being made in the pot while the noodles are being cooked. If you boil quinoa and brown rice noodles to use for other pasta dishes I suggest rinsing them before you sauce them.

Another great recipe I make with quinoa and brown rice noodles is my Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes.  It’s like stepping into a sweet Italian grandma’s kitchen, smelling the aroma of tomatoes and garlic roasting creating anticipation of the delicious bowl of spaghetti you soon will be eating.

Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach

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Lemon Spaghetti with Spinach is a one-pot wonder of creamy light lemon and garlic flavors that is an easy healthy vegan meal your entire family will love.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon medium onion chopped
• 4 tablespoons garlic minced
• 1 can of full-fat coconut milk
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 9 oz Quinoa and brown rice spaghetti
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• 2 teaspoons organic lemon zest and some for topping
• 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste

Instructions

• In a large pot heat olive oil, add onions and cook until almost soft then add garlic and saute for 1 minute on medium-high heat.
• Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, and lemon juice. Bring just to a boil and add spaghetti slowly stirring in so it does not break. Turn heat to medium and allow to cook, stirring every minute or so so it does not stick. Cook until noodles are soft, about 20 minutes.  I found after about 10 minutes I needed to turn my gas stove to low to prevent sticking.
• When the spaghetti is al dente, stir in lemon zest and spinach.
• Serve immediately, seasoning with a bit of lemon zest, chili peppers, and salt.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1348mg | Potassium: 619mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2633IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 4mg

Keyword: Lemon Spaghetti

Servings: 4

Calories: 323kcal

Author: Gina ~ Intentional Hospitality

Delishious Asian Noodles Lao Gan Ma have layers of sweet spicy flavors that develop a sauce you will be willing to lick the pan for. They are the best-flavored noodles I have ever had, better than takeout or even some fancy restaurant.

A friend was home from the mission field for a few months and we were discussing how she would like to learn some better cooking skills before she goes back. Several of us agreed to get together and show her some ideas of dishes she could make with the products she could get in her area.

She suggested I look at The Wok Of Lifeto get some ideas for recipes and did I ever! The site is full of recipes I plan on trying but for our cooking demonstration, I settled on Lao Gan Ma Noodles & The Godmother of the Godmother Sauces.  My eyes have been opened to a whole new line of products that create the most uniquely delicious flavors.

The Secret Sauce!

They shared with me how this little gem, Laoganma (Lao Gan Ma) Spicy Chili Crisp can transform a dish’s flavor profile. Ok, folks, this stuff is life changing when it comes to flavor for your Asian recipes. I love discovering new products that become a staple in my house, and this Spicy Chili Crisp is it. 

Don’t let the grumpy lady on the front fool you. Lan Gan Ma translates to godmother and she does have an interesting story. The Wok Of Life tells us “the Godmother is actually a real person––a widow who never finished school and can’t read. But her sauces helped raise her two boys, and she built a world-famous brand in just twenty years’ time! As a businesswoman in a former life, I understand hard work, but going from a small village in China to building a global brand boggles my mind. Her secret is the focus on the quality and integrity of products, and she proudly claims that her sauces are available wherever you find Chinese people!”

Asian Noodles Your Way

For this Asian noodles recipe, I did a little tweaking to the add-in ingredients such as cashews for peanuts. If you prefer to change up a few vegetable add-ins, it will not change the flavor much, the secret is in the combination of the ingredients in the sauce, keep that as it is in the recipe for best flavor

Fire up the grill and try my Thai Grilled Chicken. You can use the seasoning on vegetables such as eggplant or squash and grill them also.

Asian Noodles Lao Gan Ma

• Author: Gina ~ Intentional Hospitality
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x

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Description

Asian Noodles Lao Gan Ma is absolutely the best Asian noodle recipe I have ever tried, better than takeout or even some fancy restaurant. The dish has layers of sweet spicy flavors that develop a sauce that you will be willing to lick the pan for.

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Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon Chinese black vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced scallions
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1½ tablespoons of Laoganma (Lao Gan Ma) Spicy Chili Crisp   or to taste
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ⅓ cup raw cashews
• 200 grams dried rice noodles
• 2 cups largely chopped bok choy
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

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Instructions

1. Toast sesame seeds in a 350-degree oven for 4 to 6 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
2. Next, prepare the sauce in a large bowl by mixing together the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, scallion, ginger, garlic, Laoganma (Lao Gan Ma) Spicy Chili Crisp , sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds.
3. Heat the olive oil in a pan using medium heat, and fry the peanuts for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring every minute or so until cooked through. Drizzle the hot oil and cashews into the sauce base.
4. Soak and then boil the rice noodles per package instructions. Once the rice noodles are a minute away from done, add in the bok choy to blanch. Cook for the remaining minute, and then drain the noodles. Pour the sauce base over the noodles, stir to combine, and top with chopped cilantro.

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Keywords: asian noodles

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