Rigatoni "Mascarponi"
Ingredients
2 cups fresh grape tomatoes
2 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
3 stem of fresh basil
8 oz dairy free cream cheese ("Mascarpone")
1 pound pasta rigatoni
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
Note: Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking liquid.
Directions
Bring a pot of water to simmer and add a pinch of salt this adds flavor and reduce stickiness. And when the water comes to a rolling boil, add the rigatoni pasta all at once and stir immediately if you wait the pasta will stick together. Cook for about 12 - 14 minutes.
Wash and cut the tomatoes into cubes if your using roma tomatoes, vine ripe tomatoes or any other large kind of tomato. If using grape or cherry tomatoes just slicing in half will be enough.
Peel the garlic cloves and mince it fine.
When pasta is done to your liking, thoroughly drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water. This pasta is served cold, so is important to rinse it.
Add a splash of olive oil to keep the starch from gluing the noodles together.
In the pasta bowl add the dairy free cream cheese ("mascarpone") and thin it with the cooking liquid from the pasta. So the cream cheese will be smooth and easy to coat the pasta.
Add now the rest of the ingredients: garlic, tomatoes and fresh basil leaves.
After your own taste add some olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend all the ingredients and serve.
About Daniela
Follow her on Twitter @vegandishes365 and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vegandishes365
Daniela was born and raised in Timisoara, Romania, where she spent her teenage years working as a fashion model for Elite. She has appeared in print ads and numerous television commercials in Romania and modeled for various brands in Germany and the U.S. These days, she's working behind the lens as a photographer's assistant and videographer. And when she's not hosting dinner parties for her vegan friends, Daniela dedicates her time to donating and participating in various fundraising events to benefit animals, in particular Last Chance For Animals (LCA).
Daniela is proud to be living and working in America, which in the years following the collapse of Nicolae Ceausescu's Communist regime seemed like only a dream. Despite living through such a difficult socioeconomic transition, Daniela recalls her childhood years spent with family in her grandmother's garden and kitchen as among the happiest of her life.
Long before "farm to table" was revived in America, Daniela was enjoying the culinary practice with her grandmother on a daily basis - growing, harvesting and cooking her own healthy and nutritious plant-based dishes. After moving to Los Angeles in 2010 and discovering the Hollywood vegan lifestyle, Daniela incorporated much of what she learned back home into dishes she cooks for her vegan friends.
Now, she's thrilled to be sharing her vegan recipes and cooking tips with HNGN's readers, who will be salivating in no time.
