Most of my lunches consist of some type of leftover. I love incorporating old ingredients into new dishes. I always have leftover pasta or tomato sauce in my fridge. Today, I decided to make this pasta dish with onions, leftover pizza sauce, and dairy free cheese. This is the perfect dish for a quick 10 minute lunch because it is super easy to make in a short amount of time. I almost always have leftovers after cooking a dish for lunch; perfect for the next day's lunch! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!
Recipe:
Makes 2 servings.
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rotini pasta (I use Barilla because it is egg free)
1/2 cup pizza or marinara tomato sauce
1 yellow onion (sliced or chopped)
1 shallot (minced)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 T olive oil
1 T dairy free butter (I use Earth Balance)
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
2 T chopped fresh parsley or basil
1 T pasta water
1/4 cup shredded dairy free cheese (I use Daiya Mozzarella Shreds)
Directions:
Heat a pot of water with a pinch of salt on the stove until it boils. Add about half the box of pasta to the water (desired amount or to make 2 cups cooked pasta). Cook the pasta until it just turns soft (mine cooked for about 8-10 minutes). You can cook the pasta to your preferred consistency. Drain the pasta (make sure to keep some of the pasta water). Set aside.
In a medium-large pan, heat the onion, shallot, olive oil, and 1 T of the butter on medium heat. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the garlic, tomato sauce, and 1 T of pasta water. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next, add the smoked paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, and oregano. Stir to combine. Add 2 cups of the cooked pasta into the pan. Turn the heat to low. Finally, stir in the shredded dairy free cheese, and the remaining T of dairy free butter. Keep the heat on for another minute to let the cheese melt. Serve hot or room temperature.