Looking for a Meatless Monday recipe? How about Lemon Basil Pasta?

By Published On: 10 August 2009Last Updated: 17 January 2017

This meal is super quick, I made mine in less than 30 minutes and tastes fantastic.

What's in this post

Lemon Pasta

It’s Monday and for some that means it’s Meatless Monday, a day without meat.  And while we don’t advocate for a specific meatless day (because, you know, everyday should be a meatless day according to us), we do advocate healthy vegan meals that are quick and easy to make.  Which brings us to our Lemon Basil Pasta along side a Tomato Napoleon.  This meal is super quick, I made mine in less than 30 minutes and tastes fantastic.  Side note here, I already had the cashew ricotta made and sitting in the fridge so it might take you longer if you have to make that.

Here’s what I did.  I put the pasta, whole wheat linguine, on to cook.  While that was happening, I took fresh basil (I used about 1/4 cup) and cut it into a chiffonade.  Then I pressed (minced) 2 large cloves of garlic.  When the pasta was done, I drained it and rinsed thoroughly with cold water.  In a skillet I put 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and a bit of sea salt on to heat.  Next, I got out a lemon and cut it in half and set it aside.  Once the oil and salt was heated, I added the minced garlic.  I keep the garlic moving around the pan so that it browns evenly and doesn’t burn.  Add the pasta a little bit at a time, stirring continuously.  Keep the pasta moving so that it doesn’t stick, making sure that all the pasta is coated in the oil.  Add the basil and squeeze the lemon juice into the skillet.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes and remove from the skillet.  I add a ton of fresh cracked pepper at this point but that is totally up to you.  I then layer thick slices of tomatoes and cashew ricotta (you can click here for a recipe for the cashew ricotta) – about 3 layers high.  Top with additional fresh basil and viola! Quick, easy and delicious!

4 Comments

  1. KD August 12, 2009 at 9:51 am - Reply

    I understand Adam, I do. But notice that we said that “And while we don’t advocate for a specific meatless day (because, you know, everyday should be a meatless day according to us)”.

    Our recipe is vegan – I would not offer one that wasn’t. Meatless Monday, to us, is vegan. I never considered it vegetarian, are there people who do?

    We aren’t supporting a false distinction – we aren’t stating it’s best to choose one day of the week to leave out meat – we are admitting that there are a host of people out there that don’t know about veganism or vegetarianism. These people may come across “Meatless Monday” through Twitter and just see it as a recipe exchange. By providing a vegan recipe – I join that conversation and educate through food that animal products are not necessary any day of the week, let alone on Mondays.

    Advocacy is not, and shouldn’t be, one thing over another. Every step, every conversation that you have about animals (the abolitionist approach is included in this) helps to educate people about what is happening all around them. Why end that conversation even before it begins by shutting the door on someones ideas? Meaning, if you tell someone that their idea of having a day to not consume animals isn’t smart because they shouldn’t do it at all, you automatically turn them off to hearing what else you have to say. Why not instead ask them why they choose a meatless day and then (based on their answer) educate from there.

    Remember – no matter how unfortunate it is (and it is) – people rarely make the connection between the food on their plate and the animal that died for it. So to discuss food is very important – while only one piece of the animal advocacy puzzle, it is a part that everyone can relate to. A good conversation can be started on food but finished on the use of animals in labs. It doesn’t matter which part of animal activism you begin on, it only matters that you educate in a respectful and unapologetic way. And every opportunity to have a conversation about animals and their abuse should be used because you never know who’s mind you may change. And that change in people’s mind – to stop abusing, using and killing animals – is the only thing that matters to the animals.

  2. Adam Kochanowicz August 11, 2009 at 9:41 pm - Reply

    Why is a vegan promoting meatless mondays? I can’t understand how any other product from an animal like dairy or eggs is any more ethical than their flesh? I also don’t understand how supporting this false distinction is a good idea for vegan advocacy.

  3. janet August 10, 2009 at 4:41 pm - Reply

    Looks delicious! I agree, every day should be meatless.

  4. Twitted by hashvegan August 10, 2009 at 11:23 am - Reply

    […] This post was Twitted by hashvegan […]

Leave A Comment

HELLO! I'm KD Angle-Traegner.

Writer, activist, and founder of Four Urban Paws Sanctuary. I’m on a mission to help people live a vegan life. Read more about KD…

SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST