Vegan broccoli pasta with almond bacon

Vegan broccoli pasta with almond bacon

vegan broccoli pasta portion

Mother Nature has finally let us have some properly summery weather, here in England. I’ve been loving sitting in my garden, with Tina slumped in the shade nearby, reading, sipping a cold brew coffee or a cheeky glass of white wine and eating heaps of delicious strawberries! I don’t want this to end!

I keep on checking the forecast like a hawk, and although this week the sky isn’t as cloudless as it was last week, things are still looking promising. On account of this ridiculously good weather, which let’s face it is a bit of a rarity here, I’ve been putting all my major chores off as I’d rather be topping up my vitamin D instead.

I’m also not overly keen on spending my time in the kitchen this week, so today’s recipe is reflective of that. It is a super simple midweek dinner idea for a lemony vegan broccoli spaghetti topped with sweet, salty and smokey almond bacon bits.

It’s easy to make, delicious and uses my favourite tenderstem broccoli, which is very much in season right now. This dish is crunchy, tangy and a little smokey and quite low on effort, which mean less time in the kitchen and more time in your deckchair with a good book in hand.

vegan broccoli pasta grilled broccoli almonds

vegan broccoli pasta lemon pasta

vegan broccoli pasta ingredients

vegan broccoli pasta macro

serves
2-3
PREP
15 min
COOKING
30 min
serves
2-3
PREPARATION
15 min
COOKING
30 min
INGREDIENTS
ALMOND BACON

  • ¼ tsp tomato concentrate
  • 10 ml / 2 tsp olive oil
  • 10 ml / 2 tsp maple syrup or sugar
  • 20 ml / 4 tsp all purpose soy sauce or tamari (if GF)
  • ¼ tsp liquid smoke (or ½ tsp smoked sweet paprika)
  • 50 g / ½ cup almond flakes

PASTA

  • 200 g / 7 oz tenderstem broccoli
  • 160 g / 6 oz spaghetti (GF if needed)
  • 3-4 tbsp / 45-60 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large garlic cloves, diced very finely
  • ½ hot chilli (optional), deseeded and diced very finely
  • juice and zest, 1-2 lemons (adjust to taste)
  • salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
ALMOND BACON

  1. Preheat the oven to 120° C / 250° F (100° C / 210° F fan) and line a baking tray with a piece of baking paper.
  2. Mix the almond bacon marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Toss the almond flakes in the marinade and spread them on the prepared baking tray.
  3. Place the tray in the oven for about 30-35 minutes, giving the almonds a good stir halfway through the baking time. They may appear to still be a little soft when warm but will crisp up once out of the oven and cooled.

PASTA

  1. While the almond bacon is getting ready, chop your broccoli into same size pieces. You could either steam it (3 minutes), stir-fry it or roast it on a hot griddle pan. Once cooked, season with salt and set aside.
  2. Cook the pasta al dente following the packet instructions.
  3. Heat up 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan on a very low heat.
  4. Throw in the diced garlic and chilli (if using). Fry them both on a very low heat, stirring frequently, until the garlic releases its aroma but do not allow it to brown as it will taste bitter.
  5. Toss the cooked pasta in the garlic oil. Season with liberal amounts of lemon juice (I used about 3 tbsp), the zest of one lemon, salt and pepper.
  6. Fold in the warm broccoli.
  7. Divide between two bowls, top with almond bacon and some extra lemon juice if you wish.
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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
490
24%
sugars
6 g
7%
fats
27 g
39%
saturates
3 g
17%
proteins
13 g
26%
carbs
49 g
19%
*per serving
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5.0
8 reviews, 20 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Calista:
OMG! This crispy almond bacon is divine! It works so well with the lemon and broccoli pasta. As soon as it was out the oven it crisped up so well. I'm thinking of experimenting as it would make a great salty snack on its own...maybe swap out the smoked paprika for curry powder or 5-spice. Thanks for another fab recipe...I'm eating loads more delicious nuts since I started using your site. :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw thanks Calista, so great to hear that you enjoyed this dish and almond bacon so much. Yeah, nuts are kinda my thing, I loooove them (have to stop myself from demolishing an entire packet in one sitting kind of love) and I think they can bring so much flavour, texture and nutrition to most meals. I am so happy top hear that we are on the same page ;) Ania
Ella:
I love this - quick, simple and adaptable and perfect for weeknights. The almond bacon really kicks it up a notch but I often have it without if I'm short on time or don't have almonds in, and it's still delicious. Thanks!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Ella, I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed this meal so much and thanks for taking the time to let me know. x Ania
Taylah:
This looks soooo delicious!!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you! I hope you'll make it! Ania
Nadia:
I absolutely LOVED this!!! My husband is a carnivore, but even he thoroughly enjoyed the taste of this pasta. I also like the dryness of the whole dish. I totally stuck to the recipe. Thanks for this!!!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks Nadia! I'm delighted that it went down so well with you and your husband. Ania
And:
Delicious! Such a lovely mix of flavours. The almond bacon really is the cherry on the cake. I added grilled courgettes and mushrooms to mine (I was very hungry), which worked well. Better than a restaurant dish. Thanks for the lovely recipe and helping me to reach another level with my home cooking!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks so much for such heartfelt feedback! I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed this dish and that you are enjoying cooking with me in general! Ania
Bronte:
Hiya,
I absolutely ADORE your blog and have made one of your recipes nearly every single day during quarantine! Since I am alone I always have so much left over but am loving having things to hand from the freezer as will always freeze leftovers or jar up bits and bobs as cupboard staples; which leads me to the question - could I batch cook the almond bacon and have it jarred up in the cupboard? Just wondering how well it would keep once marinaded and cooked etc and love the idea of having this in my cupboard ready-made to sprinkle on salads and stuff in a hurry.
Honestly your blog has been a godsend for me during this time, thank you for continuing to post such beautiful recipes
stay safe & sending love x
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Bronte,
    Thank you so much for your lovely comment, I am so happy to hear that my recipes have sustained you through this challenging time! As for your question, I have not tried storing this, but if you put it in an air-tight jar / container once it's cooled off, it should work, I think. It may be a little less crunchy as it will probably wick a bit of moisture from the air, but you could fix that by putting it into a very low oven for a few minutes before serving. Hope this helps and stay safe! x Ania
Kristy:
This is one of my new favorite recipes. So delicious!!! Thank you for sharing. I wouldn't change a thing.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Kristy! I am delighted to hear that and thank you for taking the time to rate this recipe - much much appreciated! Ania
Amrita:
I made this and LOVED it. I doubled the amount of almond bacon though, as it looked so scrumptious. A winner! Thank you for the recipe, Ania.
    Ania
    Ania:
    That's lovely to hear! Thanks for such a nice feedback! Ania
Alyssa:
While getting lost in the Pinterest world I happily stumbled across your page! I love that you have both ways of measuring. Just a little thing but very helpful! I love your recipes and blogs!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks, Alyssa for you your kind words and I hope my recipes will come in useful! Ania
Diane:
Just made this recipe!!! Omg this almond “bacon”! I can’t stop eating it and I made a double batch. 😳
They were very good on my salad.
Thank you for sharing your recipes. Can’t wait to make more and report back!!!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks, Diane! I'm so pleased to hear that you enjoyed it so much. Hope you'll try my other recipes too. x Ania
Cynthia:
This is so yummy! Thanks for the recipe
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm so happy to hear that, Cynthia! Thank you for taking the time to rate and comment! Much appreciated! Ania
Cynthia Poland:
Your receipts look very delicious!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Cynthia :) Ania
Donna:
HI Ania; I can't wait to try this! Wanted to clarify 2 things in the Almond Bacon recipe: when you say "tomato concentrate" are you referring to tomato paste? Or if it's something other than that but not available here in the U.S., would tomato paste work in its place? 2) when you say "almond flakes" are you referring to sliced or slivered raw almonds? In the picture it does look like slivered almonds so I assume as such but just want to double-check. Thanks!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Donna,
    Sure thing, here are my answers: yes, I mean tomato paste (the one that comes in a squeezy tube, although that might be a European thing) and as for the almonds, I mean flaked almonds or almond flakes. Basically thin slices of almonds as opposed to chunks, which is what slivered means, I think. Although having said that, the other type would work fine too, I'm pretty sure. Hope that helps! Ania
Charlie:
Is it possible to make the almond bacon in the pan instead of in the oven?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Charlie,
    I don't think so as it will simply stick to the pan and burn. It needs to be dried out gently over a long period of time, which is why low oven works. Ania
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