Green Goddess Pasta

Servings: 6 generous helpings

Cost Per Serving: Approximately $2.13 per helping

You always hear people say that it is too expensive to eat nutritious, organic food but I'm going to dispel some myths. Periodically, I will post my recipes and give a cost breakdown per serving in order to shed light on an area where there seems to be a great deal of confusion. Most people will argue that they opt for fast food because it's more economical, but I'm here to challenge that belief. The, "Green Goddess Pasta" recipe I am presenting can feed 6 people... very well. This pasta can be divided into 6 separate portions and stored in zip-lock containers providing easy lunches and dinners throughout the busy week with the same convenience of fast food, at a lower cost both in the short and long-term view. In the short-term, you cannot find a fast food meal to feed you so substantially for this price. Not to mention, you save the expense of gas when you opt to dine-in. In the long-term, you will also save yourself a mint in medical expenses while lessening the negative impact the mass production of highly processed foods has on our environment. When looking at the bigger picture it makes sense to bring back the tradition of a home-cooked meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 package veggie sausage, sliced (I used organic Tofurky brand Kielbasa flavored vegetarian sausage for this recipe. It has a nice, savory flavor. You can substitute your favorite brand of veggie sausage, if you prefer.)
• 1 (12-oz.) package of wide egg noodles
• 1/4 c. bruschetta tapenade (I used a bruschetta tapenade with mixed olives, sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers.)
• 1 Tbsp. organic butter from grass-fed cows (high in omegas)
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 an organic sweet onion, chopped
• 2 c. organic broccoli-carrot slaw
• 2 Tbsp. Bragg's Liquid Aminos (Tastes like soy sauce, but is salt-free and contains all the essential amino acids. A great all-purpose flavor enhancer.)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once the water is ready, cook egg noodles according to package directions.
• In a large pan, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add at once, veggie sausage, onion and broccoli-carrot slaw. Cook until veggie sausage is lightly browned and the veggies are tender. Add the bruschetta tapenade to the pan at the end to toss and warm with the other ingredients.
• Once pasta is cooked, drain and be sure to shake off any excess moisture. Toss pasta with butter, Bragg's Liquid Aminos and freshly ground black pepper.
• Gently fold the veggie sausage stir-fry into the pasta.
• Serve yourself a generous helping and enjoy.

If you are interested in preserving leftovers for a later date, this stores well in zip-lock containers and will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator and up to several months in the freezer.