Penne with Vodka Sauce

Yesterday I did Christmas with my "nieces" in Winthrop.  Before heading over I prepared this dish for supper and it was relatively quick and easy.

Penne with Vodka Sauce

Ingredients
3 tablespoons of EVOO
1 medium yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of vegetable broth
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
1/2 cup of Daiya cheese
1/2 cup of pine nuts- toasted and chopped fine
1/2 cup of vodka
1/2 cup of marinara sauce (I used my own, but you can use any chunky one)
2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
3 tablespoons of Earth Balance

BONUS
I added the following ingredients to up the nutritional value:
1 cup of button mushrooms sliced thin
1 bunch of Broccolini
1/2 cup of white wine
2 tablespoons of EVOO

I started by dicing the onions very fine.  I sauteed the onions in the three tablespoons of EVOO for about three minutes until they became translucent.  I then added the minced garlic and cooked for another 2 minutes.

In the meantime I added all of the other ingredients from the top list (except for the Earth Balance, Daiya and marinara sauce) to the food processor.  Before adding the pine nuts, I toasted them in a pan and then ground them really fine. 

I next added the onions and garlic to the food processor and pulsed the mixture until it was really smooth.  As the mixture was blending, I gradually added the marinara sauce.  Once everything was blended really smooth, I transferred the the mixture to a medium sauce pan and brought it to a medium heat.  I gradually added the Earth Balance over the next ten minutes to assure that they melted and blended evenly.  You will need to stir often to prevent the sauce from getting clumpy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

As the sauce simmers, take another skillet and add two tablespoons of EVOO.  Slice the button mushrooms really thin and add them to the oil.  Cook them for about 4-5 minutes on medium heat.  Add the 1/2 cup of white wine (I used a dry Savignon Blanc). Turn up the heat and cover for about 2 minutes.  Stir the mushrooms (they should have started to brown) and then add the Broccolini. Reduce the heat back to medium and cover, cooking for another 3-4 minutes until the Broccolini is tender.

After you have boiled your penne to a perfect al dente, transfer it back into a large sauce pot.  Add the Broccolini and mushroom mixture and mix will.  Then add the sauce and coat everything well.  Plate and garnish with fresh Italian parsley and some sprinkled Daiya.  This goes great with my vegan garlic bread.

Oh, and here are the lovely Izzy and Mirelli!