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Shell Pasta with Samphire, Spinach & Sausages

Shell pasta coated in a simple dressing and tossed with samphire, spinach and veggie sausages,  topped with grated vegan cheddar.

Shell Pasta with Samphire, Spinach & Sausages


SHELL PASTA WITH SAMPHIRE, SPINACH & SAUSAGES


Doesn't that look satisfying?

Pasta dishes don't have to swim in sauce. 

Don't get me wrong I love penne completely coated in a freshly made tomato and basil sauce, spaghetti drowning in bolognaise and macaroni rich with cheese sauce, but sometimes it's nice to keep the pasta quite plain and let the other ingredients sing.

In this dish, the pasta shells are coated in a little pesto and tossed with spinach, samphire and well cooked sausages.


WELL-COOKED SAUSAGES



Sausages must be well cooked. Always! 

Slightly charred is slightly preferable.

The sausages have to be veggie or course (or vegan)

I always keep some in the freezer for easy dishes. They're a great standby for quick meals. 

I serve them on finger rolls with fried onions and ketchup, in rich sausage bakes, on mash with gravy and peas or on a sandwich or wrap with salad for lunch.


Shell Pasta with Samphire, Spinach & Sausages in a Pasta Bowl


A HEARTY FAMILY MEAL


This pasta dish is a great family meal. It's tasty, filling and a healthier option that adding a jar of sauce to pasta.

  • VEGAN SAUSAGES - are generally low in fat making them a healthy source of protein.
  • SAMPHIRE - is rich in Vitamin A, B & C as well as folic acid.
  • SPINACH - we all know that spinach is good for us, although it doesn't have as much iron as Popeye tried to convince us, but it is an excellent source or iron, vitamin A, B2, C, K, folic acid and magnesium. 

You can use homemade pesto or jarred pesto, then top the pasta with some finely grated vegan cheddar, which works better than vegan parmesan in this dish.


WHAT IS SAMPHIRE?


Samphire is a plant from the parsley family that is found near salt water in rock or marsh areas.

The thin stalks look a bit like thin baby asparagus.

It used to be a plant used solely by chefs, but in recent years it has become more common in supermarkets.

It's quite salty, so never add salt with cooking or serving it and it only needs the briefest of cooking, although it can be eaten raw too.

It was after a meal at The Gate Restaurant in London, that we discovered my son likes samphire. Any vegetable he decides he likes is a big win!




MORE RECIPES WITH VEGAN SAUSAGES


Here are a few more recipes using vegan sausages for you to try.


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pasta, vegan pasta, dairy free pasta, sausage pasta, samphire recipes, vegan sausage recipes
dinner
British, vegan
Yield: 4 - 6
Author: Jacqueline Meldrum
Shell Pasta with Samphire, Spinach & Sausages

Shell Pasta with Samphire, Spinach & Sausages

Shell pasta coated in a simple dressing and tossed with samphire, spinach and vegan sausages topped with grated vegan cheddar.
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 12 MinTotal time: 17 Min

Ingredients

  • 400g / 14 oz shell pasta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 vegan sausages
  • 100g / 3.5 oz baby spinach
  • 90g / 3 oz samphire
  • 4 tbsp pesto
  • a good grinding of black pepper
  • 50g / 1.75 oz vegan cheddar, grated

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in lots of salted boiling water until al dente.
  2. Fry the sausages in a little oil until brown and cooked through, then slice.
  3. While the pasta and sausages are cooking, rinse the spinach and samphire and chop, then add them to the cooking pasta a couple of minutes before the end of cooking.
  4. Drain the pasta and veg, then pop back in the pan with the pesto. Season with pepper (no salt as samphire is salty).
  5. Mix in the sausages and serve immediately topped with some grated cheddar.
  6. Enjoy.

Notes:

Calories

4 large portions = 661 calories

5 standard portions = 599 calories

6 smaller portions = 499 calories

Once cool, you can keep this pasta in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.


If you can't find samphire, why not add asparagus instead?



Calories

661.42

Fat (grams)

46.95

Sat. Fat (grams)

14.89

Carbs (grams)

33.91

Fiber (grams)

2.54

Net carbs

31.38

Sugar (grams)

2.00

Protein (grams)

24.75

Sodium (milligrams)

1206.89

Cholesterol (grams)

90.12
Created using The Recipes Generator

38 comments

  1. Hi Jacqueline, Love these simple pasta and greens recipes--and I often add vegetarian sausage to mine as well. What is samphire? Is there a different name for it in the US?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Samphire is a sea vegetable. It tastes a bit like asparagus but has a more salty flavour. It's full of vitamins and minerals. It's quick to cook and really tasty. I was lucky to get some as the season is usually over by now.

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  2. I love Quorn, it's so versatile. I was thinking of making pasta, but I never added samphire, sounds lovely.

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    Replies
    1. It is good with pasta or in a risotto. Cooper loves it.

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  3. Pasta always makes such a fabulous base for a great meal!

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  4. I keep seeing samphire and meaning to pick some up and cook with it. This is a good reminder, as this dish looks super tasty.

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  5. Delicious - I've recently tried Quorn sausages and I'm definitely a convert.

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  6. I love pasta and I also prefer the ones with light to no sauce and tons of flavor! Great recipe!

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    Replies
    1. I like both, but it's good to change things up I think :)

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  7. This looks like a fantastic week night meal, I adore samphire and my husband adores pesto so this would be a winner in our house!

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  8. What a perfectly autumnal dish - I need to get this organised!

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  9. Oh I really fancy this now! You're absolutely right - pasta doesn't need to be drowned in sauce to shine. I do wish I could find a good source for samphire, I love it!

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    Replies
    1. Yes it's good to change things up and sometimes have a light dressing so the other ingredients shine.

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  10. I really hope Quorn bring out vegan-friendly sausages soon, I used to love their products! This is my kind of dinner, total comfort food for Autumn :-)

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    Replies
    1. I am sure they will. I have to admit I thought they would do these first.

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  11. Wonderful family-friendly veggie supper that's perfect for my lot... I've not tried the boys with Samphire but reckon I will as they love their greens. Thanks for the inspiration as always!

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    Replies
    1. That's brilliant that they love their greens. I really struggle with Cooper, so I'm glad he likes samphire.

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  12. Mmm loving the sound of this! I bought some samphire the other day from our local fish mongers and ended up binning it as I didn't know what to do with it! I know now for next time!

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    Replies
    1. Oh no, that's a shame. Add it to pasta, quiche, risotto or serve it on the side with a grinding of black pepper.

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  13. Don't cook often enough with samphire. Love what you did with it!

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  14. What a stunning bowl of food, great photo, very tempting.

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  15. Beautiful and colourful - I have never cooked with samphire though

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    Replies
    1. It's very quick and easy to cook Heidi and very tasty.

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  16. I adore a hearty bowl of pasta and this looks simply delicious.

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  17. Ooh yes, this sounds gorgeous Jac. Samphire is so delicious, it's just a bonus that it's so good for you too :)

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    Replies
    1. Definitely a good way of looking at it Choclette. Tasty and healthy.

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  18. I love your pasta and vegan sausage recipe, looks beautiful and yummy. I've never actually tasted vegan sausage, must give it a try.

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    Replies
    1. They are actually really good Monika and I have a few family and friends who are meat eaters who enjoy them too.

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I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x