Pasta Puttanesca

Here's a nice, simple dinner--pasta with puttanesca sauce--for which you likely don't even need a recipe, and the only reason to post about this is that it makes a good example of how to take an old favorite and make it more nutritious.

I've always loved puttanesca sauce--a spicy tomato sauce--and it retains its wonderful flavor without adding anchovies. I add olives in addition to capers, and to increase the mineral content of the meal, a 1/2 cup of sliced fresh mushrooms that cooked with the sauce and made it chunky and delicious. What else is in there? strained tomatoes, garlic cloves, thinly sliced onions, dried herbs of various kinds, and half of a serrano pepper.

These days I favor lentil pasta. I don't eat it frequently (it's expensive, and why not simply eat lentils?) but it's a nice once-in-a-while treat. It certainly packs more of a nutritional punch than the wheat equivalent (lots of protein and iron.)

And finally, more protein and some B12 via my vegan parmesan (macadamia nuts, nutritional yeast, garlic powder and salt). Some nutritional yeast brands add B12 to their formulas, which is great!

Bon appetit!