Brian Butcher of The Home Team’s Red Sauce Pasta
Recipe
Recipe shared with peta2 from Brian Buther of The Home Team
a little backstory from brian
I once made this recipe for 17 members of my wife Tess’s family during a trip to Montana. Each couple had a designated night to cook for the whole group, and, as you might imagine, the idea of an all-vegan dinner raised a few skeptical eyebrows in this very all-American crowd.
I tripled the recipe and spent nearly five hours preparing everything—armed only with the modest kitchen tools of an Airbnb. It was a bit chaotic, to say the least.
I was nervous. After all that effort, I desperately wanted the meal to be exceptional—not just to feed everyone, but to prove that vegan food can be deeply satisfying. The moment I tasted the sauce, though, I knew: I had absolutely crushed it.
Tess paired the pasta with a homemade vegan Caesar salad, and we rounded out the meal with some “accidentally vegan” garlic bread from Costco. Later, several family members told her privately that it was the best dinner they’d had all week.
brian butcher of the home team’s red sauce pasta
Servings
4
servingsPrep time
10
minutesCooking time
1
houringredients
Two 28 oz cans San Marzano D.O.P. peeled tomatoes (any italian grown will do)
One can of coconut milk (low fat is fine)
One head of garlic, minced (that is not a typo)
One large yellow onion, diced (or two small ones)
One package of ground vegan sausage, thawed
One lb of your choice of pasta (I like fusilli)
A “splash” of red wine (optional, if you’re 21+)
Lots of fresh basil, roughly chopped (when available)
1 tbsp smoked paprika (optional)
vegan parmesean (optional)
instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or pot, heat a bit of oil over medium-high heat.
- Add 3/4 of the garlic and all the onions. Let them simmer for a few minutes.
- Stir in any optional spices you’d like (e.g., chili flakes, oregano, fennel seeds) and sauté for another 1–2 minutes.
- Add the vegan sausage and cook on fairly high heat until browned and cooked through.
- If using red wine, pour in 1/2 cup to deglaze the pan. Stir and let the wine cook off. This step is optional.
- Once the wine has reduced, add canned tomatoes and coconut milk. Bring the mixture to just under a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Add remaining garlic. Stir in the remaining 1/4 of the garlic.
- Let the sauce simmer uncovered for up to an hour, stirring occasionally. The longer it simmers, the richer and thicker it becomes.
- While the sauce simmers, cook your pasta according to package instructions. Salt the water generously. Optionally, reserve up to 1/2 cup of pasta water to adjust the sauce consistency later.
- Once the sauce has reached your desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in about 1 cup of fresh basil.
- Add 3/4 of the cooked pasta to the sauce first to check the ratio. Add more if needed.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with your favorite vegan parmesan (e.g., Follow Your Heart brand).
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