Perfect Spring Recipe - Vegan Spiced Yogurt Dill Pasta
Now that it’s officially spring, we’ve been craving a dish that tastes light and fresh, and this recipe, developed by PPDE contributor Calyce Magee, is just that! Inspired by French Moroccan Cuisine, Calyce created this recipe as something she would make for a weeknight dinner for her family and is a bit different than the usual bowl or salad. This quick meal is full of fresh flavors that go perfectly together!
Vegan Spiced Yogurt Dill Pasta
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 lb. orecchiette
2 cups of Plain Unsweetened yogurt (l like oat or almond on the thicker side)
3 cups (lightly packed) dill fronds with tender stems (about 1 large bunch or 3 small bunches), divided
3 garlic cloves, divided
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup pine nuts
½ cup raisins
1 lb Beyond Meat (can sub impossible meat)
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen petite peas (defrosted)
½ lemon
Instructions
Step 1 - Boil a large pot of water with a teaspoon of salt. Cook orecchiette al dente according to package directions. Set aside in the strainer when done.
Step 2 - Combine 2 cups of lightly packed dill, yogurt and 1 clove of garlic in the blender and blend until smooth. Finely chop the rest of the dill and set aside.
Step 3 - Heat skillet on medium heat. Melt butter, add the pine nuts and cook for about 2 minutes until golden brown. Add in the raisins and cook for one more minute. Set aside mixture in a bowl and season with a pinch or two of salt.
Step 4 - Put beyond meat in the same already heated pan, keep on medium heat. With a sturdy spatula flatten the beyond meat (like you’re making smash burgers); sprinkle spice mixture over. Cook, undisturbed, until it is well browned and crisp underneath, about 3-4 minutes. Mix and break up meat into small crumbles and make sure it is pretty well done. After the beyond meat is crumbled, mix in the reserved nut and raisin mixture. Finely grate in remaining 2 garlic cloves and add reserved chopped dill. Cook, stirring, until herbs are wilted, about 1 minute. Turn off heat and set aside until pasta is ready.
Step 5 - Pour dill and yogurt purée over pasta and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens enough to cling to pasta and just comes to a simmer, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, finely grate zest from 1/2 lemon half over pasta, and then squeeze in juice. Add in peas and lightly mix together. Season with a little salt.
Step 6 - Divide pasta among bowls and top with vegan meat mixture. Enjoy!
Meet Calyce!
Calyce [kah LIKE ee] Magee has been vegan since 2011 and vegetarian since 2005. She holds a Vegan Lifestyle Coach & Educator (VLCE) certification from Main Street Vegan Academy in New York City. Calyce is a co-founder and chef at Plant Based Events Delaware, a demonstration cooking project in the Philadelphia area focused on multi-course gourmet meals based in whole foods. She and her vegan spouse Jamie have two teens with food allergies, which has given her years of experience with various plant based ingredient substitutions for picky eaters.
She personally follows a whole food plant-based diet and vegan lifestyle, but occasionally enjoys vegan chocolate and cheeses, baked goods, and an occasional vegan Philly "Cheesesteak"! Her favorite cuisine categories include French, Middle Eastern, Indian, Mexican, Sushi, and Thai. She and her spouse are on track to have dined at every vegan restaurant in the greater Philadelphia area.
In addition to cooking, she and Jamie are avid backyard vegetable gardeners and grow a lot of their own food in season. Calyce and her family volunteer with local animal rescues, and have two rescued dogs of their own, who are also on a vegan diet.
She holds a B.A. in Economics from Boston University. Outside of vegan lifestyle consulting, Calyce is a university administrator and has held previous careers as a yoga instructor, a paraprofessional grade school teacher, and a software consultant in the Boston and DC areas. She also enjoys stand-up paddleboarding, as well as bicycling and long-boarding around her town. She was born in Texas and spent her middle and high school years in southern California, where she used to save up her lunch money to secretly binge on boxes of Twinkies and sneak out to In & Out Burger.
Visit Calyce’s website to learn more or connect with her on Instagram!