Lemon Spinach Pasta (Gluten-free + Vegan)

This easy, one-pot meal is a quick and delicious vegan dinner that is great for busy nights. The lemon is light and refreshing and pairs perfectly with the heat from the crushed red pepper. Combined with the spinach, this meal can help fulfill your daily greens as well.

Important Ingredients

• Zest from 1 lemon. — Using a lemon zester is the easiest way to quickly zest a lemon. I like to add the leftover lemon juice to a container of ice water to make lemon water, or if you would like your pasta meal to be extra lemony, feel free to spritz the lemon juice on your finished pasta.

• Gluten Free Spaghetti. — There are many gluten-free spaghetti options to choose from, including those made from corn, beans, and rice. My preference is corn pasta, especially La Veneziane. The Good & Gather brand at Target also has a yummy gluten-free corn pasta.

• Nutritional Yeast. — I like to think of this ingredient as 'vegan parmesan,' because that is what it most reminds me of, and that's also how I use it. It does a great job of adding a cheesy flavor to vegan dishes.

How to Make this Recipe

Preparation. Heat water for pasta in a large stock pot. While water is heating, chop onion and slice mushrooms.

Cook gluten-free spaghetti. When water is boiling, salt your water with a sprinkle of salt. Add gluten-free spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep noodles from sticking together.

Saute onion, mushroom, and garlic. While the spaghetti is boiling, add 1 T. olive oil to a warm sauté pan. Add chopped onion and sliced mushrooms. Sauté on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, or till onion is translucent and mushrooms are softened. Add dried minced garlic and let sauté for one more minute.

Add cooked spaghetti to saute pan. When spaghetti is done, drain well. Add cooked spaghetti to the sautéed onion and mushrooms. Turn the heat down to low.

Add butter, etc. Add the vegan butter, sea salt, dash pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice (optional depending on how much lemon flavor you prefer). Stir till vegan butter is melted and ingredients are mixed.

Add spinach. Add spinach, stir, continuing sautéing on low for another minute or till spinach begins to wilt.

Add nutritional yeast. Remove from heat and add nutritional yeast.

Enjoy. Feel free to sprinkle with extra sea salt and pepper, and enjoy.