Tunisian Pasta Holy Cow

Here’s something fresh, spicy, clean and SIMPLE to keep you feeling fit while you go about the business of enjoying another shiny new year: my Pasta with Tunisian Spices. This is an easy pasta for a weeknight, and it would be pretty great with couscous, but I had some pastina– really tiny, star-shaped pasta and I thought I’d use it up. What I really love about this pasta sauce is that it is packed with vibrant, bold flavors: there’s coriander here and cumin and carom seeds (ajwain), and there’s the fiery burst of garlic and chilies from the Harissa (I almost always have this paste on hand because it’s such a great flavor booster for curries and stews). For some extra bite in the pasta and texture, I added mushrooms. For more nutrition, I added chopped greens. And for protein, I added rotund, creamy chickpeas. It was, hmm, pretty perfect. Before I share the recipe, I want to thank all of you for sticking with me through 2014, and for coming along on this wonderfully mysterious ride that’s going to be 2015. Here at Holy Cow! you will continue to find the fresh, flavorful, healthy and above all EASY vegan recipes that I prefer personally (and know you do too!) not just as a working mom but also as a non-superwoman who needs (and likes) a breather every now and then. As for resolutions, I don’t have any this year except to lose weight– a perennial favorite, I would guess, for anyone who loves to eat as much as I do. And I have a similar resolution, too, for my beloved Opie who will be 13 this year, and is valiantly carrying on despite severe arthritis. Opie is hypothyroid and has a tendency to gain weight and while putting him on a homemade diet has helped, he could still stand to lose a couple of pounds. Of course, he still manages to look perfect. See for yourself. Check to get new recipe updates by email.

Right now, as I write this post, he is sitting next to me on the bed, looking out of the window for anyone– animal or human – he can call out to in his authoritative voice. And he specifically wanted to say this to you: May your new year be filled with more treats than your tummy can handle. Happy new year, all!