Vegan caper pasta

Vegan caper pasta

vegan caper pasta for one

I have made no secret of the fact that I’m obsessed with capers! I mean those little flower buds pickled in salty brine have the potential to brighten any vegan meal like nothing else.

It’s a good job they are widely popular here in Greece, often harvested locally on the island, as I buy them by the kilo, literally! My latest caper splurge was 1.2 kg (!) and the sad thing is that I will be out of capers again in a month or so.

Not all capers have been created equal though, so if you can buy them in bulk, aim for plump, sturdy buds in a variety of sizes (as opposed to uniform ones). Also make sure that they are fairly salty as they double up as a beautiful seasoning for whatever you are making with them. Such is the case with this simple vegan caper pasta with a variety of late summer veggies.

Because the capers I get are rather salty, I ended up adding no salt to the pasta itself or the sauce and it was spot on. Salt content really depends on how the pickling brine has been prepared so you may end up having to adjust it to your taste. As a precaution though, I would say to err on the side of caution. There is nothing worse than an overly salty dinner.

capers in salty brine

vegan caper pasta in pan

vegan caper pasta close

vegan caper pasta lunch

serves
2-3
PREP
15 min
COOKING
15 min
serves
2-3
PREPARATION
15 min
COOKING
15 min
INGREDIENTS
  • 200 g / 7 oz of your farfalle* (I used wholemeal pasta)
  • 2 tbsp / 30 ml olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
  • ½ red hot chilli, chopped finely or ½ tsp sambal oelek
  • about ½ cup chopped tomatoes (optional), tinned or fresh
  • 15 sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 small fennel bulb
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced very thinly
  • 2 heaped tbsp capers (in salt, not vinegar), chopped
  • 1 tbsp sultanas, finely chopped**
  • 8 Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tbsp roasted hazelnuts, chopped roughly
METHOD
  1. Boil a large pot of water and cook your pasta just short of al dente (so that it doesn’t overcook once it hits a hot pan), following the instructions on the packet.
  2. Heat up a heavy frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the warm pan and swivel it around the pan. Once the oil heats up and starts to shimmer lightly, add finely chopped garlic and fresh chilli (if using) and fry them gently for a few minutes. Make sure you stir frequently so that the garlic doesn’t burn.
  3. If you have chopped tomatoes on hand, add them in at this point. They are not necessary, but I recommend adding them if you like your pasta more saucy. Sauté them gently for about 5 minutes, until they soften and the excess water cooks out.
  4. Add tomato halves and sauté them gently until they soften and the chopped tomatoes (if using) thicken a little further (for about 5-10 minutes). If using chilli paste instead of fresh chilli, you can add it in now.
  5. Add finely sliced fennel to the pan. Cook gently for 2-3 minutes until just softened. Remember to give the pan a good stir from time to time.
  6. Finally add in thinly sliced zucchini, chopped capers, chopped sultanas and olive halves. Cook for another minute or so – just until the zucchini is no longer raw.
  7. Season with black pepper and salt (only if your capers don’t provide enough salt).
  8. Mix in cooked pasta. Serve topped with chopped roasted hazelnuts.

NOTES
*Use gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free meal.

**If you don’t like them, you could add 1 tsp of sugar / molasses to the tomatoes instead.

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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
492
25%
sugars
10 g
11%
fats
21 g
31%
saturates
3 g
13%
proteins
12 g
24%
carbs
65 g
25%
*per serving
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5.0
3 reviews, 7 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Dolorez Reyes:
Sounds delicious will try with some pumpkin seeds. Thank you for the recipe.
    Ania
    Ania:
    My pleasure, I hope you'll enjoy it! Ania
Ioanna:
Hello. Looks delicious! I am also plant based vegan and sugar free and am inspired by beautiful dishes like this. Do you reside in Greece? efharisto
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks Ioanna, that's lovely to hear! Not anymore, unfortunately. We moved back to the UK a couple of years back. Ania
Ashes:
I LOVE this dish!! My friends saw the picture I posted and wanted to try some too ;) I did add more sauce and capers (like them both a lot) I also used almonds instead because I couldn’t find hazelnuts.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, that's lovely to hear! :) Ania
Elena Kerasopites:
When I lived in Rhodes, we loved caper leaves, they were very popular there but I don't know if you can find them in Paros. If you do try them you will love them!
    Ania
    Ania:
    That's a great tip, Elena! Thank you! I've never seen them but will investigate, for sure. Ania
Daniela:
Hey Ania, you did it again....I'm drooling...on my keyboard...
I thought I was the only person I knew who has a devastatingly addictive love affair with capers :)))
Thank you once again!
With love from Bucharest,
D.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Ha ha, thanks so much, Daniela - sorry about the keyboard, hope it's water resistant ;) Ania
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