Delicious and easy: hearts of palm pasta made from entirely plant-based whole foods
Plant-based whole food pasta, made with hearts of palm, homemade tomato sauce, fresh herbs and lemon zest. As delicious as it is good for you!
I’ve been in a BIG pasta mood lately.
But this week I felt like keeping things light. So I took a break from the legumes and alternate grains, and did a hearts of palm thing instead.
And let me tell you…it was delicious.
Made with rainbow chard and a simple homemade tomato sauce, with fresh basil and a hint of zested lemon and garlic, this dish is so full of flavor, I almost can’t believe it’s made entirely from whole foods.
Check out everything I love about it below, including some tips on how to make your veggie-based pastas pop with flavor using good-for-you whole foods.
Health Perks
Hearts of palm are a great non-starchy, water-based vegetable to use in place of pasta if you’re looking to slim down or maintain your weight. They’re light, don’t require any prep other than rinsing, and a low maintenance vegetable, which makes it taste even better, if you ask me.
The tomato sauce is homemade, using cherry tomatoes, sweet onions, garlic, a little bit of cooking oil (way less than store-bought varieties), a pinch of salt and pepper. Simple, pure, delicious.
For greens, I used rainbow chard. You can use any kind you like. But do be sure to throw some in, because they’re at their peak this time of year (spring). And greens are everything when it comes to health, am I right? Filled with important vitamins, minerals and disease-preventing antioxidants.
It’s made with garlic, which is a detoxifying and immune-boosting food (to say the least). In addition to the tomato sauce, which is roasted with garlic, I grate just a small amount of fresh garlic over the dish for additional flavor and to minimize the aggravating affect it can have on sensitive stomachs. This method, if you can tolerate it, allows you to benefit from all that garlic has to offer without any of the discomfort.
The entire dish is made from plant-based ingredients and whole foods. And that means you’ll benefit from a wide variety of nutrients, you can expect to feel good eat it, and rest assured that what you’re eating promotes good health and disease prevention.
I don’t love cooking oils, but when I have to use them, I use cold pressed varieties. This involves pure, cold-pressed olives.
This meal is filled with fiber, to keep you full and satiated, and help promote good digestion and elimination, which, if you ask me, is the foundation of good health.
This dish uses food combining principles, to optimize digestion and energy levels.
Other Thoughts, Tips and Suggestions
Easy to throw together. Don’t be intimidated by the make-your-own-sauce element, either, since it’s totally hands off (all you need to do is roast a few ingredients, forget about it for 30 minutes, then blend them together.
Skip roasting if you’re in a hurry. Just blend the raw tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil in a blender. Tomatoes, especially during the summer time, are naturally sweet so it will still taste good. However, roasting them does take the sweetness to the next level. Or you can use store-bought sauce. Entirely up to you!
Any tomato variety will do. Just be mindful when roasting of your cooking time if you’re playing around with different sizes.
Other veggie-based pastas will work just as well. If you’re looking for a veggie-based pasta that requires very little time to cook, and can’t get your hands on hearts of palm (or don’t like it), try zucchini or sweet potato spirals.
There are lots of ways to add flavor using just whole foods. Other ways to add flavor using plant-based whole foods (aka no processed creams or cheeses): briny olives, capers, this homemade superfood parm are some of my favorites.
Check out the full recipe below. I hope it blows your mind and you love it as much as I do!
The Ultimate Hearts of Palm Pasta
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Yields: 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
(For the sauce)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 tbsp cold pressed avocado oil (divided)
handful fresh basil
salt and pepper, to taste
little bit of water to thin out
(For the pasta)
3 swiss chard leaves, chopped
1 package of hearts of palm pasta, drained and rinsed
1 lemon, zested
1 garlic clove zested
Directions
First, prep your sauce. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss tomatoes, garlic, onions, oil, salt and pepper. Lay on baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes ( until tomatoes are soft and lightly browned).
Next, prepare your pasta. When your tomatoes are almost done cooking, begin to sauté the chard and hearts of palm in a medium sauce pan on a low to medium heat. Stirring often to prevent sticking (you can line the saucepan with a bit of spray oil, or splash of water or vegetable broth).
Blend your sauce. While the vegetables cook, remove the tomatoes and onions from the oven. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then transfer to the blender with an addition tbsp of avocado oil, handful of fresh basil and a bit of water. Blend on a high speed until completely smooth. Add more water if you desire a thinner consistency.
Prepare your dish. Pour the sauce over the chard and hearts of palm, mix gently until vegetables are coated in sauce. Top with lemon zest, grated garlic, more fresh basil and additional salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
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