The First Mess Cookbook
My cookbook has lots of simple vegan pasta inspiration, and just a variety of vegan dinner ideas using seasonal produce.
Something I tend to spend time on that I don’t talk about on here: creeping people’s grocery hauls on Instagram, their blogs etc. I’m also a big time cart-glancer at Costco, the local grocery spot, any food-selling store really. I get some surprising inspiration for easy vegan dinner recipes out of this activity. Also, when I see chocolate pudding and salty snacks nestled up against bags of sweet potatoes, avocados and 3 types of greens, I just strongly relate! (and maybe I start thinking about making this avocado pesto pasta).
I like to think that Jeanine and Jack from the Love & Lemons blog have some particularly excellent grocery/market hauls. I’ve been a fan of their work since forever. I love Jeanine’s fresh combinations that have just the right amount of effort and plenty of style. The easy-elegant vibe. I love that approach with plant-based food.
I’ve been cooking from their new cookbook for a couple weeks now with great results! I made the carrot spelt waffles for a weekend breakfast, and then the quinoa taco salad for a light weeknight dinner, and now this creamy miso pasta with Brussels sprouts. I plan to just keep going, too.
Jeanine employs a “cook backwards” strategy that really works for my cooking style and kitchen stocking strategy. The book is composed of produce-specific chapters with recipes, great one-off ideas, and storage tips. Once I went through the chapters (and noted that my pantry stock is strikingly similar to theirs), I realized that there were so many things I could make.
Some tips for this pasta:
- Miso is such a key ingredient here! It provides umami, depth of flavour, and an unmistakable salty quality. I love using milder chickpea and barley-based versions in my cooking. It’s a great flavour enhancer for salad dressings, sauces, soups, and even sweet things like cookies and caramel sauces.
- In this recipe, the Brussels sprouts are cut simply into halves. If you’d like to cut the cooking time down, trim them into quarters.
- When pan-frying Brussels sprouts, you want to get your pan quite hot over medium-high heat. Sear the halved Brussels sprouts until you get some caramelization on both sides, about 2-3 minutes. Then, keep stirring them until bright green and tender, about 7-10 more minutes.
This pasta was so creamy and it had a satisfying depth of flavour from the miso. It sounds silly, but I had never cooked non-shredded Brussels sprouts in a pan over high heat on the stovetop. I usually just go the oven-roasted route, but I liked these so much better. The super hot cast iron gave them crispy edges but they stayed nice and tender throughout. Best part: this whole thing was ready in 20 minutes. The serving size says 3-4, but my partner and I took down most of this–just so good!
There’s still so many recipes that I need to try from this book. It’s the perfect companion for when local produce really starts coming on. Highly recommended it if you love bold doses of visual inspiration and plenty of tasty things to eat.
20-Minute Miso Pasta with Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
Sauce
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked 3-4 hours + drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon white/mellow miso paste
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup filtered water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- sea salt, to taste
For The Pasta
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cups Brussels sprouts, sliced in half
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 8 ounces long pasta (I used brown rice spaghetti here)
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- chili flakes, optional
Equipment
Notes
- From Love & Lemons: An Apple to Zucchini Celebration of Impromptu Cooking
- Jeanine notes that if you aren’t using a high-speed blender for the sauce, you may have to blend it an extra minute or so to get it nice and creamy.
- In the original recipe, fettucine is used as the pasta. I used brown rice spaghetti because that was the only long pasta I had on hand. It was still great, but I think a thicker/wider noodle would have been even better from a textural perspective.
Instructions
- Make the sauce: in a high-speed blender, puree the cashews, miso paste, garlic, Dijon mustard, water, lemon juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the brussels sprouts, cut side down, along with a pinch of salt. Let them sear until the cut side becomes golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Toss and continue cooking for an additional 7-10 minutes, or until tender.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the pan, toss once more, then remove from the heat and transfer to a plate.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package, cooking until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Stir in the sauce, adding pasta water as needed to thin the sauce and make it creamy. Add the brussels sprouts and toss until heated through.
- Serve pasta hot with freshly ground black pepper and chili flakes, if using.
Also a major fan of both Love & Lemons and creeping in other people’s grocery carts! <3
This was pretty good, I soaked the cashews for a long time and used a Vitamix so I was surprised the sauce was still a little grainy (maybe it was the brand of miso that I used?). I was also expecting more harmony between the sauce flavors and lemony brussels sprouts since the ingredients all make so much sense together.
I think I would have liked it better if I didn't have the NY Times Vegan Cacio e Pepe to compare it to. That uses miso, cashew butter, and nutritional yeast for something similar but we preferred that texture and its really lovely umami. I think next time I'll use their sauce and noodles with these brussels sprouts.
The sauce is awesome! I used my Vitamix so I soaked the cashews in hot water for about 1/2 hour and it worked out well. Thank you for such a lovely recipe posting.
Literally, I recently had my lunch, looked at your dishes, now I feel hungry again
Hi Laura,
I just found this recipe and have everything except cashews! I’m staying home because of COVID and won’t be going to the grocery store until next week — is there anything I can use instead of the cashews? Thanks in advance! :)
Miranda
Hey Miranda,
I know I’m not Laura but I used Tahini as a substitute if you have it!
Thank you! :)
Anything I could substitute for the miso? I know, it’s a big ingredient, but that’s the only thing I’m missing!
Hey Caroline! I would go with a big splash of tamari/other soy sauce and maybe a spoonful of nutritional yeast if you have that hanging around.
-L
i’d like to make a large batch of this. quadruple. do you think all ingredients should be quadrupled? i’m mostly thinking about whether garlic, lemon juice, and oil should be quadrupled.
Hi Dawn,
The oil and garlic would be fine doubled. I would start with double the amount of lemon and miso. Then taste the sauce towards the end and adjust those two accordingly.
-L
love the sounds of this dish – the flavors and the colors look incredibly fresh!
My favorite is at the natural food store for the exact reason you stated. I like seeing people’s indulgences!
this is the first recipe i’ve made from your site. i had all ingredients except brussel sprouts. i did have a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. it worked. i really liked the sauce. thanks for a lovely recipe.
Hi
This recipe sounds so yum!! Do you think adding white wine in the sauce would taste nice? Thank you!
How many calories is in this dish ?
I love their recipes too – have finally got round to ordering their cookbook. BIG into sprouts in pasta, this looks amazing!
This looks amazing!! How long do you think this sauce will keep?
Hi Denise,
I think you could keep the sauce covered in the refrigerator for about 5 days or so.
-L
Made this, liked this! Super easy and just used a regular blender. Didn’t need to add any pasta water to the sauce as it was the perfect consistency. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
This recipe looks wonderful and easy for me too. I would say three years ago i never looked at what someone was buying but now i look all the time at grocery baskets. I even will put something back since i tend to buy a few more non health items which is a great way to fight the urge when i see a super healthy basket zip by me. Two years ago i made a promise NO more frying anything in my house. it was very difficult since raised in the south you ate something fried once a week. This has been our greatest accomplishment and now to get my husband to try miso!!
That’s so awesome that you’re motivated by other people’s healthy cart-fuls! I don’t think my will power is that strong ;) Hope you’re successful getting your man to try miso! It’s one of my favourite ingredients.
-L
You wouldn’t be impressed with my grocery haul…I’m lucky if I remember everything I darted out for and if I can keep up with baby bear running around aisles and pulling price markers. I’m certainly impressed with this dish my son loves Brussel sprouts and pasta…lets she if he likes this combination too! Happy hauling!
I’m slooooowly getting better at remembering my list when I go to the store haha ;)
-L
Oh, this looks absolutely gorgeous! April is such a tough time in Massachusetts when there’s nothing but greens coming out of local farms, but I’m still craving spring veg. I think I’ll make this this weekend with some fresh bok choy and homemade fettuccine.
April is kind of rough on the local food front around here, too. Still tons of root veg, tubers and cabbage ;) I bet this would be delicious with bok choy!
-L
Isn’t this book magical?! I love how its organized and can totally relate with the backwards meal planning too. This miso pasta sauce totally caught my eye and you make it look even more gorgeous here – need to try this brussels cooking method! They’ve always intimidated me a bit for some silly reason. I love your cart-snooping ;) I do the same but at restaurants, always embarrassing Scott by bending all awkward-like while we walk to our table to scope out peoples’ dishes! Whatevs, I wanna see! ;) Happy L&L cooking this week lady, I’ll be doing the same. xoxo
The light captured in your photos is insane. I love the sounds of this dish – the flavors and the colors look incredibly fresh! Jeanine’s cookbook sounds amazing!
Stormy clouds were rolling over just when I started photographing this! That’s my favourite kinda light for sure. Hope you get a chance to check out the book :)
-L
I totally feel ya! I am always glancing over into other people’s carts (especially if the lineup is getting long) and am relived to see veggies + salty chips stacked up next to each other – all about that balance riiight? This recipe is beautiful, I love the thoughtful pairing of brussels sprouts and miso, sounds like perfection <3
It was such a good combo. Jeanine’s book is loaded with those simple, but totally genius, flavour pairings :)
xo L
I’ve cooked brussels sprouts this way a couple times, and I, too, love them.
Laura, this looks stunning! THANK YOU for the beautiful post.
4 types of greens, chocolate, cold brew coffee and wine would be in my shopping cart :) All about the balance!
This looks so yummy! I love miso
I know the feeling! Am constantly snooping at other people’s groceries! This book and the recipe looks beautiful! I’m definitely going to have to put it on my wish list!
Sauteeing brussels sprouts is one of my favorite ways to eat them. I bet they tasted fantastic with the combination of miso.
Hi Laura! There are a lot of recipes with eggs and dairy products in their book? Btw, this pasta dish seems terrific!! :D xo
Hey Valentina, there are a few recipes with dairy and eggs, but it’s mostly a vegan book. Most of the recipes that utilize dairy and eggs could easily be made vegan with some substitutions/omissions.
-L
I seriously can’t WAIT for this book to get to my doorstep! I usually roast the crap out of brussels sprouts, so this recipe is a welcome change :)
That’s usually my strategy too! I love getting all those ultra crispy little leaves :)
xo L
I literally laughed out loud about your grocery cart creeping. I do the exact same thing! I tell Frank all the time that I would love to work one day as a grocery checkout clerk just because I love seeing what people are inclined to buy and stock their fridge with. I’m also a super creep in what my friends and fam have in their fridge – way strange, but so interesting to me. But yes, Jeanine’s book! I love how she showcases new ways of cooking or preparing veg in such an approachable and beautiful way. Big fan of this creamy pasta, going to have to make it soon :) xo
I used to work as the cashier at my dad’s produce and grocery store and I’m pretty sure that’s where my obsession started. I’ve been known to creep the friend fridge too haha.
xo L
I just love your review of the L&L book. I cannot get over how visually stunning it is!! I’ve looked through it a handful of times and didn’t even see this recipe yet. There is just so much goodness in that book! Probably making this for dinner tonight. :) Also, photos = stunning…per usual. Also #2, definitely love checking out what people buy! My favorite is at the natural food store for the exact reason you stated. I like seeing people’s indulgences! haha
I saw on your snaps that you made it with kale last night! Swoon. And I know what you mean about missing stuff in the book–there’s so much to look at!
xo L
Ahh a kindred spirit!! I love peeping at other peoples’ healthy grocery hauls. And even my own… when I have an especially good basket filled with vibrant and colorful produce, I have to take a picture. ;)
I have to take a picture when I have a good haul too! Haha.
xo L
This looks amazing! The more I see about this cookbook the more I want to buy it. I’m moving cross-country in a month so I’m trying to whittle down my pantry but this goes on the list for when I buy some more miso!! (Along with more of those peanut miso patties. :D)
Ugh, this pasta sounds TOO good! Everything with miso catches my eye :) I love the idea to cook brussel sprouts with fresh, spring/summery flavors like lemon and dijon mustard, and not only eat it around Christmas time with like pomegranate or hazelnuts.
I’ve also been following love & lemons since I started food blogging, so I’m super excited about the book! Especially after this praise ;-)
Have a great day!
Agnes
Thanks Agnes! I think you’ll love the book. Lots of super fresh and interesting ways to prepare vegetables.
xo L
I’ve also been a fan of their recipes since forever! Love this pasta!