How to Make Your Own Vegan Italian Recipes

 

A Simple Recipe for Mushroom Risotto

This mushroom risotto (Jessica in the Kitchen) is more akin to an authentic recipe, lots of mushrooms and vegan Parmesan. You have to keep stirring for 20 minutes, so pour yourself a glass of wine!

You need to buy arborio or risotto rice for this recipe, it won’t work for other types. Never eat rice after 24 hours, it can give you food poisoning. 

Risotto always uses Parmesan. But know that by law, real Parmesan contains calf rennet, so is not even vegetarian. Something to note for restaurants that promote dishes containing it on their vegetarian menus. Because it’s not.

 

 

A Brand of Fresh (vegan) Italian Pasta

Sunny & Luna is an alternative brand of authentic Italian pasta. The difference here is that rather than wheat, the pasta is made from fresh vegetables. And vegan too (no egg). Nourishing, full of vitamins and great if you love pasta, but not your waistline!

Recycle packaging at supermarket bag bins, if your kerbside does not recycle. 

This food brand was founded by a woman who loved food and knew about pasta, due to her Italian heritage.

However as a former New York model who had to keep slim for her job, she knew there must be a better way to keep eating pasta, while not piling on the pounds!

The plant-based range includes:

• Ravioli (packed with real fresh spinach)
• Gnocchi (with fresh spinach & cauliflower)
• Cauliflower gnocchi (if you don’t like spinach!)
• Lentil tagliatelle (peas, cauliflower & lentils for plenty of protein)

Look for all these delicious pastas, sold in local groceries. Serve with your favourite plant-based sauce and vegan Parmesan!

How to Make or Buy Vegan Mozzarella

Mozzarella is an Italian mild cheese, sliced and served with fresh tomatoes and basil for a Caprese salad, or melted to use on homemade pizza. Traditionally made from buffalo milk,  artisan brands have now created plant-based versions made mostly from cashews, which taste just as good, and melt just as well.

This quick and simple vegan mozzarella (It’s Liv B) only has a few ingredients, and can be sliced or melted, your choice. It’s made with a blend of cashews and coconut milk.

Keep mozzarella balls away from young children and people with swallowing difficulties. 

Like any cheese, once opened, use up your vegan mozzarella within a few days. After removing it from the fridge, slice or shred it, if using it to top a pizza or pasta bake. This cheese will melt as it cooks, giving a stretchy texture.

If using it for Caprese salad, just slice with a good knife and add it to sliced heirloom tomatoes and chopped fresh basil, drizzling with a little olive oil, if wished.

• This vegan mozzarella (Shane + Simple) is made with wholesome cashew nuts, and melts as soon as you need it. He says you’ll never get a cheese to taste 100%, but this is so close, that nobody will really notice the difference, especially in recipes.
• This vegan block mozzarella (Anna Banana) uses cashew milk, a simple recipe for all your Italian foodie needs.
• This vegan mozzarella (Carlo Cao) is from a Swiss-Italian chef, a blend of cashews with soy yoghurt and soy milk.

Here are good brands to look for in stores.

Kinda Co Mozzaloumi (England) is from a sustainable brand that aims to be plastic-free, and made in Somerset by an artisan foodie, who runs vegan cheesemaking courses.

This is cooked in a little oil in a pan for a few minutes, then browned on the other side. Add to flatbreads with vegan pesto, fry in cubes and dunk in chilli sauce, or serve with a cooked breakfast. As the name suggests, this can also be used in place of Greek halloumi cheese.

Bluffalo Notzerella (England) is from a London food brand, founded by a couple of foodies (one Italian, the other American), both who did not want to give up cheese! The mild milky flavour makes it ideal for salads and sandwiches, and it also melts really well for lasagne or pizza.

MozzaRisella is unusual, in that rather than using cashews, it’s based around brown rice, which is sprouted in the manufacturer’s country of Italy, the home of Mozzarella. Free from soy or gluten, slice thinly for this Caprese salad or use to top a pizza. Once opened, consume within a few days.

This brand not only makes the classic mild flavour, but also serves up several flavoured mozzarella cheeses and alternative products including:

• Smoked Mozzarisella
• Blue Cheese Mozzarisella
• Mac and Cheese (meal)
• Lasagne (meal)
• Tagliatelle (meal)
• Ravioli (meal)

4-Ingredient Vegan Panna Cotta Recipe

This vegan panna cotta recipe (Ela Vegan) has just four ingredients, and is a delightful end to an Italian meal. Just heat dark chocolate with canned coconut milk, maple syrup and agar flakes (a vegan alternative to gelatine that is widely sold). Bring to a gentle boil, stir for a few minutes, then pour into ramekins and chill for a few hours.

Panna Cotta is a popular Italian dessert, meaning ‘cooked cream’. However most versions (including ones sold in shops) are usually made with gelatine (animal bones). So why not try this simple vegan version instead?

A Recipe for Easy Vegan Tiramisu

Try this Easy Vegan Tiramisu (Rainbow Nourishments). Unlike most recipes, there’s no faffing about buying or making sponge fingers, you just need 5 ingredients (no cashews, coconut oil or vegan cream cheese needed). And it’s ready in 20 minutes!

Avoid caffeine for pregnancy/nursing. 

Another popular way to end the meal in Italy is a small glass of ice-cold limoncello (a very lemony vodka drink that won’t freeze).

Tiramisu is Italian for ‘pick-me-up’, due to containing chocolate and coffee (lots of caffeine!) Unlike England (where tiramisu is sold in plastic pots), in Italy people make it themselves. A few tries and you’ll have this recipe down pat!

A Recipe for Homemade Vegan Lasagne

This recipe for homemade vegan lasagne (Wallflower Kitchen) is a super-easy replica of meat lasagne. This one is not just animal-kind, but healthier and full of fibre, plus very tasty! Biona makes good organic lasagne sheets, from a brand that is transitioning over to paper packaging.

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets (onion, garlic, aubergine and nutmeg are unsafe near animal friends).

Just bin allium scraps (onion, garlic, shallots, chives, leeks, as acids could harm compost creatures (same for citrus/tomato/rhubarb).

• This is a simple recipe that just requires three steps. First you make the sauce (use a homemade veggie stock to avoid palm oil).
• Then you make the filling (a tasty concoction of lots of different veggies, tinned tomatoes, mixed herbs, stock and balsamic vinegar.
• Then you layer the lasagne sheets with the sauce in a dish, top with grated vegan cheese and bake. Serve with a fresh green salad.

Serve with Plant-Based Parmesan

Everything tastes better with a little grated cheese on top. But Parmesan is not even vegetarian, as by law it contains a cheese made with calf rennet.

Instead, just grate your favourite vegan cheese on top. Or learn to make plant-based parmesan! It’s very simple, and once mastered, you’ll never go back!

Spring Vegan Risotto (with asparagus and peas)

This spring vegan risotto (Wallflower Kitchen) is a lovely recipe for spring and summer months, ideal with a can of organic Vinca white wine! The secret to good risotto is to keep stirring throughout, so don’t leave the stove!

Check medication before consuming asparagus (due to vitamin K interactions). Read more on food safety for people and pets (asparagus is unsafe near animal friends).

Biona makes good organic rice, all in paper packaging (find in health or farm stores, or stock up online). You’ll also need a good vegetable stock, so make your own to avoid palm oil. And a little vegan butter (all brands of Flora are free from palm oil).

This risotto makes use of asparagus, a super spring vegetable. But you’ll have to be quick, as it’s only in season for around 8 weeks each year. For some people, it does unfortunately make your pee smell. But it’s a small price to pay, for this king of vegetables!

This ancient veg (over 2000 years old) grows so fast (up to 7 inches in a day) that if you had nothing better to do, you could (just like with bamboo) sit and watch it grow before your very eyes!

Serve with Plant-Based Parmesan

Everything tastes better with a little grated cheese on top. But Parmesan is not even vegetarian, as by law it contains a cheese made with calf rennet.

Instead, just grate your favourite vegan cheese on top. Or learn to make plant-based parmesan! It’s very simple, and once mastered, you’ll never go back!

A Homemade Minestrone Soup Recipe

Ever had a can of minestrone soup from shops? You may as well drink a glass of water. This minestrone soup recipe (The Simple Veganista) is more like the genuine article. Packed with veggies, it’s also rich, thick and filling.

Check medication before eating spinach (due to vitamin K). Read more on food safety for people and pets (leeks, onion and garlic are unsafe near animal friends).

Just bin allium scraps (leeks, onion, garlic, chives, shallots), as acids could harm compost creatures (same for citrus/tomato/rhubarb).

Stars of the show in this soup are obviously the veggies: carrots, celery, onion, green beans, spinach, courgettes, garlic and tomatoes. Along with some good veggie stock and a few herbs. It’s just a case of cooking everything in a pot (add the spinach last, as it cooks quicker).

The good thing about this soup is that you can use up whatever’s left in the fridge (leftover potatoes, corn, peas, parsnips, cabbage or kale). Julie also suggests treating yourself and adding some vegan sausage, for a real Italian feast!

If you make a lot of homemade soup, it’s worth investing in a good stick blender, to save the faff of washing blenders all the time. It’s UK law that whoever sells it to you, has to take your old appliance back for recycling.

You could also use Souper Cubes. Sold in Lakeland, these are like giant silicone ice-cube trays. Just pour in cooled leftovers and freeze. Then when you want soup, just pop a portion out and thaw overnight in the fridge, before cooking up to a safe temperature. That way, you can make bigger batches, even if you are only cooking for one or two, with no food waste.

What Brand of Pasta to Use?

The Yorkshire Pasta Company and Northern Pasta Co are both home-grown brands that use British wheat, and sell in paper (not plastic packaging). We think either of these are a great idea to support local farmers, and avoid plastic waste.

How to Cook Pasta (like the Italians)

Bring a pan of water to a rolling boil, and salt the water before adding pasta. Unless you have a medical condition. Not salting water in Italy when cooking, makes it ‘silly pasta!’ You will notice the difference in taste.

A Super-Easy Homemade Pasta Salad Recipe

This pasta salad (The Simple Veganista) is sure to become a lunchtime staple. You can mix and match whatever’s left in the fridge (this one uses cherry tomatoes, red onion, green peppers, olives and tinned chickpeas).

The recipe uses a simple homemade dressing. If you want to buy store-bought, Newman’s Own and Pizza Express both offer nice vegan versions sold in stores.

Before making, read up on food safety for people and pets (onion and garlic are unsafe near animal friends).

Just bin allium scraps (leeks, onion, garlic, chives, shallots), as acids could harm compost creatures (same for citrus/tomato/rhubarb).

For canned foods, always pop the lid back inside the can (or the ring-pull back over the can) to avoid wildlife getting trapped, before recycling.