There’s a new category of food in our house these days that I like to call “decadent vegan.” Regular vegan food, as everyone knows, is steamed quinoa with shredded carrots and a squeeze of lemon, but decadent vegan food is different. It’s this creamy, hearty pasta, and my first experiment with deep-frying and that addictive roasted squash salad that we’re still making every chance we get. In truth, a lot of recipes on this site fall into the decadent vegan category, but for some reason I hadn’t thought of them that way before. This year, I’m making a conscious effort to cook more vegan meals. Decadent, delicious vegan meals.
What are your favorite recipes or ideas that fall into the decadent vegan category? Please share!
If you keep a jar of caramelized onions in the fridge, as I’ve been doing lately, this recipe can be prepared in the time your pasta takes to cook. And if you don’t keep a jar of caramelized onions in the fridge, I encourage you to start.
Whole Wheat Pasta with Greens, Caramelized Onions, and Creamy Walnut Sauce: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt it well, then add 3/4 lb. whole wheat spaghetti. While the pasta is cooking, make the walnut sauce in your food processor by grinding 1 1/2 c. walnuts, a large clove of garlic, and 1/2 tsp. salt until smooth or slightly grainy, whichever you prefer. Add 5 Tbsp. roasted walnut oil and mix again. Scoop 1/4 c. hot water from the pasta pot and blend into the sauce to thin.
Just before the pasta is done, add a bunch of thinly-sliced washed greens to the pot (I used the tops from a bunch of beets) for the last 30 seconds of cooking time. Reserve a mug of the cooking water and then drain the pasta and greens together. Immediately transfer the pasta to a serving bowl and toss with a big scoop of caramelized onions (if they’re straight from the fridge, like mine, tossing them with the hot pasta right away will warm them up) and the walnut sauce. Add some of the reserved cooking water if needed to moisten the pasta. Season well with black pepper and taste for salt before serving.
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Emmy Cooks 
This looks delicious! I love the idea of keeping caramelized onions in the fridge!
I’m loving it too! Because then it’s so easy to add them to everything, and caramelizing 8 onions don’t take THAT much longer than doing 2. I also freeze them in 1-cup portions if I don’t think I’ll be using them up quickly.
Caramelized onions are the best. I’ve been using them in Butternut Squash, Black Bean & Chipotle Tamales lately. Thanks for the Creamy Walnut Sauce–that would make a delicious sauce for them.
Yum! Where do I find THAT recipe? Those tamales sound amazing!
Definitely decadent and delicious sounding.
I could just nom nom nom a bowl of this past right this very minute, even though it’s 5.30am here in Australia and I’m still in bed!
I’ve never thought of keeping caramelized onions in the fridge. Great idea.
This sounds great! Another excellent reason to go get a food processor. One of these days… :) In the meantime, I think a cutting board variation is totally doable.
Mortar and pestle? :)
Love it. I think my Avocado Lemon Pesto recipe fits in to the “decadent vegan” category. Or really anything with avocado… or walnuts/cashews… or coconut milk.
I agree, it’s all about creamy textures (and fat!). Your pasta is on my list!
Decadent vegan! I love it. I think of all my avocado-based salad dressings as decadent, and I guess they are vegan … also, cakey breads made with coconut oil instead of butter. Yum. I’m going to have to give this one a try very soon though – break us out of our caramelized-onion-and-ricotta rut! Walnuts here I come.
I love walnuts! Definitely would like to try that sauce.
Decadent vegan is divine. I think the zucchini manicotti I made with cashew/sunflower cheese is our most decadent, and surprisingly fabulous vegan meal. This looks great – I had a Deborah Madison soup with a walnut cream a few months ago (forgot to post it…) and was thinking walnut cream should become a part of my kitchen vocab. Thanks for reminding me!
Don’t think I could withstand the urge to add some parmigiano and possibly cream to this, so then it would be decadent vegetarian :-)
I love whole wheat pasta for sure – it’s awfully delicious! Looks so rustic and pretty to boot!
Whole wheat pasta always seems like “comfort food” to me! Yours looks so good especially with the addition of the walnut cream.
This looks amazing Emmy! I love this new category of food you’ve created :)
Yum! I love nut sauces. One of my favorite decadent vegan dishes is roasted seitan with cipollini onions and garlic in a balsamic marinade. It gets saucy and then you pour it over creamed root vegetables. It makes me sing.
Mmm that looks delicious! Loving the idea of the walnut oil and caramelised onions!
Decadent vegan…ha…that’s my tagline to my website! This pasta and nut sauce sounds sooo delicious!
This looks wonderful Emmy! I think I might be a decadent vegan lover too…..though I love a good bowl of quinoa & carrots!
That whole wheat pasta looks amazing, a bit like soba. Ive not used it before but going to try some now. Decadent is good and that walnut sauce certainly sounds great.
The ingredients here are definitely flavors I’d love! xx
I’d love to make this but the hubby’s gone paleo, and I’m trolling your blog for adaptable recipes. How can I ditch the wheat pasta but keep the dish?
Ok, I am not well versed in the paleo diet but I think this would make a great side dish without the pasta–just toss a ton of steamed kale with the walnut sauce and caramelized onions? Boy, if only I had a recipe index, it might be easier to find what you’re looking for around here! It’s on my to-do list. :)
That looks amazing!
Okay, I will ‘fess up: my lunch-time indulgence is the vegan, raw-food lasagne from the fancy juice bar down the street. Paper thin slices of zucchini instead of noodles. Layered with spicy raw tomato sauce, basil pesto, and cashew cream taking the place of béchamel.
You have very interesting recipes here, I will make time to visit your blog more.
that DOES look decadent.
Awesome new pasta idea. Thanks :-)