Food Revolution Day 2013: Confetti "Chik'n" Pasta

Here in the United States, the typical diet is very processed, very "fast food" and not very healthy overall.  People just don't cook as much as they used to, for whatever reason.  Many say they're just too busy, while others are afraid of the kitchen.  It's a sad fact that in the space of 100 years we've gone from cooking everything from scratch to not even knowing what's in our food.

When I heard about Food Revolution Day on Facebook, I got really excited.  This day (it was May 17, 2013) is all about coming back to our food roots.  It's all about celebrating fresh food that didn't come out of a box and doesn't have 50 unpronouncable ingredients.  It's all about relearning those basic cooking skills that are lacking these days (seriously, I know people that can't even boil water!).  It's all about taking back our kitchens and our health.

To celebrate FRD, I decided to make a Confetti Quorn Chik'n Pasta, based on this recipe.  Obviously, since I'm vegetarian, I used Quorn Chik'n instead of actual chicken.  This pasta was delicious and the whole family loved it!

To make this dish, you will need:

For the pasta:
1 pound pasta (I used whole wheat fettucini)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 package Quorn Chik'n cutlets, defrosted and cubed
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 cups broccoli, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

For the cream sauce:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups half and half (I used milk)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt, or more to taste
1 cup parmesan, shredded


First things, first.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  While you're waiting, prep all your veggies and Quorn.

Cook your pasta.  When done, drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add your Quorn chik'n.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the veggies and salt, except for the tomatoes.  Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Add the butter to the veggies and continue to heat until melted.

Once melted, add the flour, salt, and garlic powder.  Stir to evenly distribute the flour in the veggies.

Cook for 3-4 minutes and then add the milk.  Bring to a simmer and cook till thickened, usually about 5 minutes.

Once thickened, add the pasta and stir to combine.

 Add the parmesan and stir till it's melted.

Add the tomatoes and gently fold them in.

Serve hot with a nice green salad and some whole wheat rolls for a delicious meal!