Spicy Seitan and Broccoli Rabe Pasta

Spicy seitan with a hint of fennel, tender broccoli rabe, over a bed of pasta topped with roasted pine nuts, nutritional yeast, and vegan parmesan.

Ingredients Overview

Seitan

Seitan is a plant-based meat substitute made from vital wheat gluten. It is a popular ingredient in many cuisines, particularly in East Asian and Southeast Asian cooking.

Seitan is often used as a meat substitute due to its texture, which is similar to meat, and its ability to absorb flavors well.

Key points:

• Made from vital wheat gluten
• Has a chewy, meat-like texture
• Can be flavored and seasoned to mimic the taste of meat
• High in protein and low in calories
• Can be used in a variety of dishes, including stir-fries, stews, and soups

There are two main types of seitan available, including:

• Homemade: This is a type of seitan that is made from vital wheat gluten flour from scratch in the comfort of your own home. Typically you make a dough and then steam, boil, or bake before cooking the seitan like you would tempeh or tofu.
• Store-bought: This is the most common type of seitan and can be found in most health food stores and some supermarkets.

For this recipe we used store bought seitan by a brand called Upton’s. This product was available at our friendly neighborhood supermarket. If you can’t find pre-made seitan there are a few options that come to mind:

• Talk to a buyer in the produce section of your local supermarket and ask them if they plan to carry seitan in the future. You’d be surprised at how responsive buyers can be to direct inquiries about a product or brand.
• Give the local health food stores a call or visit. Ask if they carry or plan to carry seitan. The odds should be more in your favor with health food stores so it might not hurt to start with them.
• Plan B would be to make homemade. Amazon carries Bob’s Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten and on the back of the packaging they provide a seitan recipe.

Broccoli Rabe

On the surface level it can be described as a cross between curly kale and broccoli. Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, is a green vegetable that belongs to the turnip family. It is a leafy, cruciferous vegetable with a strong, pungent flavor and a slightly bitter taste. The entire vegetable is edible, including the stems, leaves, and buds, which can be cooked in various ways such as sautéing, braising, and roasting.

Key points:

• Belongs to the turnip family, not the broccoli family
• Leafy, cruciferous vegetable with a strong, pungent flavor
• Slightly bitter taste
• Entire vegetable is edible, including stems, leaves, and buds
• Can be cooked in various ways, such as sautéing, steaming, and roasting

Pine Nuts

Technically, pine nuts are kernels that have been extracted from the seeds of a type of species of pine tree. The extraction process is costly and time consuming which is why pine nut prices can be high. In a culinary sense they are considered nuts. They have a rich flavor and are often used to make pesto.

Fennel Seeds

Fennel seeds are the dried seeds of the fennel plant. It is a flowering plant that belongs to the carrot family. The seeds have a sweet, anise-like flavor and aroma, similar to licorice, and are commonly used as a spice in various cuisines around the world.

They are known to aid in digestion and ease bloating. As well as being nutrient dense, they contain: calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, fiber and antioxidants. They are an easy and delicious addition to this meal.

Cooking Notes

For the marinade measure half a cup of water and microwave for 30 – 45 seconds. This will help the other ingredients mix together and dissolve. Then stir in the Better than Bouillon, tomato paste, soy sauce, pressed garlic, and spices.

Prep the veggies by first rinsing the broccoli rabe and drying as much as possible with a paper towel. Cut the broccoli rabe in half. Trim and discard the end of the stems. Then chop the stems into 2 – 3 inch pieces and place in a small bowl.

Roughly chop the top half of the broccoli rabe ( the end with the florets and leaves ). The pieces can be 3 – 4 inches long. The leaves will cook down so there is a little more wiggle room so to speak.

Chop the onion and mince the garlic and place in a small bowl. At this stage we can also slice the cherry tomatoes in half and place in a separate small bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and then empty the raw pine nuts on a baking sheet. When the oven comes up to temperature set a timer for five minutes and place them in the oven. When the time elapses use and oven mitt to shake the baking sheet. Then place back in the oven and repeat until they are golden brown.

Bring a skillet or large frying pan up to medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and the seitan. Cook for a few minutes and then add the marinade.

Cook for about 10 – 12 minutes or until the liquid evaporates. Stir the seitan frequently so that nothing sticks to the pan. Adjust the heat or add olive oil if it does start to stick.

Once the seitan is cooked remove it from the pan by placing in a large bowl. Set the seitan off to the side and return the pan to the stove top.

Add a tablespoon of olive oil and then add the garlic and onion. Sauté until the onion starts to turn translucent. Stir frequently so that nothing sticks to the pan. Add the stems and sauté for about 7 – 10 minutes.

Put a pot of water on a back burner for the pasta and start heating it. This step can take some time so it is good to have a pot of boiling water on standby. The mark I use for when to add, and cook, the pasta is when I add the seitan back to the skillet. That gives the seitan enough time to come back up to temperature. Cook the pasta following the instructions on the packaging.

Next add to the skillet the leafy part of the broccoli rabe, the sliced cherry tomatoes, and the half cup of water with Better than Bouillon. Then add the cooking wine and give everything a nice stir. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until the stems are tender. When time approaches the 20 minute mark it is good to taste test some of the stems to see how things are going. Adjust the cook time if needed.

Once the greens are tender add the seitan back to the skillet. Stir to incorporate the seitan into the mixture and put the lid on the pan but leave it cracked. At this stage you can turn the heat down to medium low. As discussed earlier, if the pot for the pasta is boiling, then cook it based on the packaging instructions.

Once the pasta is ready drain the water with a strainer. Then it is time to serve. Place the pasta on the bottom of a bowl. Then add the spicy seitan and broccoli rabe mixture on top. Garnish with the roasted pine nuts. Optionally, you can add nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan.

Substitutions and Variations

Pasta – For this recipe I used corkscrew pasta but you could easy swap in your favorite shaped noodle.

Cooking Wine – A decent substitute for cooking wine is balsamic vinegar.

Pine Nuts – Pine nuts are in a league of their own but a close runner up might be roasted pumpkin seeds.

Seitan – If you can’t track down seitan or if you don’t have any on hand you can replace it with tofu, tempeh, or tofu knots.

Heat Level – Spiciness is fairly subjective. For me this meal was a couple ticks above mild. To scale the heat level up or down simply add or detract from the recommended amount of red pepper flakes added to the marinade.

Storage

Add the pasta to the bottom of your storage vessel of choice. I tend to use this 24 piece set from Pyrex. Then add the spicy seitan and broccoli rabe mixture on top. If there are any roasted pine nuts left they are best stored in a small separate container. They should keep nicely in the refrigerator for several days before the freshness starts to taper off.

If you like this recipe be sure to check out our other recipes below:

• Vegan Lentil Bolognese with Mushrooms, Sweet Peas, and Carrots
• Tofu Knots with Kale and Bell Pepper
• Yellow Curry Tofu Knots with Spinach and Veggies
• Tofu Knots and Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl
• Coconut Curry Tofu Knots