Deliciously, Creatively Vegan: Chive Kitchen
What’s coming out of Chive kitchen is intriguing: plates piled with fresh, seasonal vegetables and grains, complemented with sauces and garnishes, all nicely priced.
This dish balances toothsome rigatoni pasta with velvety vegan béchamel and a bright and pungent pesto made with fresh oregano and pistachios, my favorite nut.
Ingredients
BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
- 4 cups almond milk, divided
- ½ cup Earth Balance or vegan butter
- ¼ cup brown rice flour
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- salt to taste
Pesto
- 2 cups parsley (include stems)
- ½ cup fresh oregano (2 tablespoons of dry oregano if you cannot find fresh)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 cups pistachio meat
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup olive oil
- salt to taste
Pasta
- 1 pound dry rigatoni
- olive oil
- salt to taste
Vegetables
- 1 cup broccolini, rough chopped
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cups mushrooms of choice, chopped
- 1 cup water
- salt to taste
Instructions
BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
Heat 2 cups of almond milk with vegan butter in a medium pot to melt the butter and create a so simmer. Turn off heat until you are ready to continue the recipe.
In a blender or food processor, place the other 2 cups of almond milk, rice flour, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice and salt and blend until smooth. This is called a slurry, a thickening agent similar to a roux but without added fats. Add the slurry to the simmer and stir well with a whisk over low heat. It will begin to thicken as you stir. Take off heat and let sit until needed. Taste and add salt and pepper.
PESTO
Add all ingredients except olive oil to a blender or processor and use the pulse function to slowly blend and chop. When the machine is not on you can remove the top and use a spatula or spoon to stir ingredients to help the mixing. Once the ingredients have begun to break down, start drizzling in olive oil through the lid. As needed, stop blending and give the ingredients a stir then continue to blend until a chunky paste formed. A pesto should not be a smooth paste but have more of a gritty texture. Add more olive oil until you like the consistency. Stir in salt to taste, testing repeatedly until it is just right.
PASTA
Cook per package instructions, strain and rub with olive oil and salt.
VEGETABLES
In the pasta pot, sauté broccolini with the olive oil, salting to taste. Stir in mushrooms and water and cook until vegetables are al dente, adjusting again for salt.
ASSEMBLY AND FINISHING
Add rigatoni to sautéed vegetables and stir well over very low heat. Add the béchamel sauce and stir well into the pasta. Turn off heat, add some of the pesto and stir in slightly, keeping pockets of the pesto to give pops of flavor. You can also choose to plate the pasta and dollop the pesto on top to be stirred in while eating. Use the pesto to your taste—there may be some left over.
Once plated, garnish as you like with lemon zest, fresh herbs or truffle oil
About this recipe
Recipe courtesy of Chef Suzy Silvestri, owner of Chive Kitchen
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