We got back from our trip yesterday and I am ready to get cooking again! John and I each gained about 4 lbs. eating our way across the Atlantic, Spain, and France. We are going to work on this weight gain by adopting a more Mediterranean diet mindset.  Tonight’s dinner is whole wheat spaghetti with a quick sauce of San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, onions, capers, and olives. I garnish mine with chopped parsley and toasted breadcrumbs while John also adds Parmesan cheese and a finishing olive oil.

Ingredients and garnishes for our sauce

San Marzano tomatoes

After toasting some garlic slices and breadcrumbs along with chopping up some parsley I set those aside for the finished dish. In the time that it takes John to bring the water to a boil and cook the pasta, I make the sauce. It is just a quick sauté of garlic, onions, and pepper flakes, then add the tomatoes, olives, and capers. Don’t add salt to the sauce! The capers and olives take care of the needed salt. I adjust the flavor with a pinch of sugar. Be sure to save a cup of pasta water to thin out the sauce before you toss the drained spaghetti into the sauce.

Spaghetti and sauce cooking on the stove simultaneously

This great vegan dinner is my adaptation of a NY Times Cooking recipe. It is quick, easy, inexpensive, and totally delicious!

Vegan Mediterranean spaghetti