Super easy one-pot pasta recipes, like this delicious One-Pot Vegan Cat Ears Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli , are one of my favorite meal solutions for busy weeknights. Simply cook the pasta while you sauté your delicious veggie pasta sauce, then combine all the ingredients in one pot and set your hearty dinner pot on the table. These recipes make for a well-balanced meal. Easy to make and easy to clean up! Not to love all kinds of things? This cat ears pasta recipe is so delicious and will quickly become your family’s favorite. The whole family will love it (kids included). With just 9 ingredients, you can make this meal in about 25 minutes!
What is cat ear pasta?
This is a traditional pasta from Puglia, Italy. Orecchiette is pronounced o-rek-kyet-teh and is so named because it is shaped like a small ear. Made from just semolina (a type of wheat flour), water, and salt, this pasta has a rough surface that helps capture the delicious sauce. For thousands of years, Puglia women have been making cat ears on large wooden tables in the middle of village streets. This traditional pasta is made by pressing the pasta dough into thin ropes, cutting it into small pieces, and then pressing it against the surface with your thumb or the tip of a knife to create the typical boat shape of pasta.
I had the pleasure of visiting Puglia and watching traditional cat ear pasta being made in action in the Italian town of Bari. It’s usually sold fresh, but I also take packages of dried pasta home and cook it in my kitchen. When I was in Puglia, I enjoyed plant-based dishes with cat ears every day! Common classics include broccoli rabe, tomatoes, peppers, and sausage, which inspired my plant-based recipe for One Pot Vegan Cat Ears Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli in the Kitchen. I used plant-based ground beef for this recipe. You can also substitute cooked brown lentils.
describe
Get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes with this easy one-pot vegan cat ears pasta with sausage and broccoli. It’s easy to make, easy to clean up—what’s not to love?
- water
- 1 lb. cat ear noodles, dry (*reserve water when cooking)
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Pounds of plant-based ground beef alternatives (i.e. Sweet Earth, Beyond Meat)
- 2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning (Make your own here)
- 1 tablespoon Calabrian chili peppers (canned; available 1 diced small pepper)
- 12 ounces Fresh Broccoli or Cauliflower Rabe Spears
- 1 cup vegetable soup
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 cup *Reserve cooking water
- Fill a large pot about two-thirds full with water, cover, and bring to a boil.
- Add the pasta, reduce heat to medium and cook for 10-12 minutes, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the plant-based ground beef substitute, Italian seasoning, and Calabrian chiles and cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes.
- Add broccoli, vegetable stock and tomato paste and stir gently. Add enough pasta cooking water to create a moist sauce. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add cooked, drained pasta and additional pasta cooking water as needed to make a moist pasta mixture. Heat for about 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
notes
If desired, try substituting 2 cups cooked brown lentils for the plant-based ground beef substitute.
To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 20 minutes
- category: main course
- gourmet food: Italian food, American food
Nutrition
- Serving size: 1 serving
- Calories: Chapter 375
- sugar: 3 grams
- sodium: 247 mg
- fat: 13 grams
- Saturated fat: 4 grams
- carbohydrate: 50 grams
- fiber: 6 grams
- protein: 20g
Keywords: Cat Ears Pasta, Cat Ears Sausage and Broccoli, Cat Ears, One Pot Pasta Recipe
Also try these delicious plant-based pasta recipes:
Fresh cranberry beans with pasta and vegetables
Penne with Seaweed Vegan Pesto
Butternut Squash Lasagna with Sage Walnut Sauce
The Best One Pot Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
Vegan Cauliflower Spinach Lasagna
Vegan Bolognese Sauce with Lentils and Walnuts
Vegan Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
Golden Beets and Beets with White Beans and Macaroni
As an Amazon Influencer I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information about affiliate links, click here.