Before I wrote cookbooks, created whole food plant based recipes, wellness programs, and even before I opened restaurants, I was a personal chef. I had a client once who was the single mom of a 7-year old girl. It was the first time that I cooked for them and I was just wrapping up in the kitchen when they came home from work and school.

The daughter walked into the house and stopped dead in her tracks. She started wiggling her nose, just like a cat does when a dog is near. She looked up at her mom and asked “What is that smell?” with a perplexed look on her face.

Her mom laughed and said, “That’s the smell of food cooking in our kitchen!”

It was fucking heartbreaking but it gave me happy chills at the same time. Heartbreaking because this little girl had NEVER had a home cooked meal in her 7 years and happy chills because she was going to have one that night.

I made this recipe for you because people are buzzing around like cute little bumble bees, going from one thing to the next, sucking the pollen out of life without slowing down to enjoy the sanctity of the kitchen.

This recipe requires a small amount of effort, but 20 minutes is all you need (plus a few more minutes for chopping the veggies) for a home cooked meal that’ll leave your house smelling like Italy.

May you have a beautiful week ahead, filled with love, nourishment and laughs so hard that there are actual tears.

20 Minute Vegan One Pot Pasta