Twenty Something Vegan: A Very Vegan Christmas

Since my family celebrates Hanukkah, I have had the pleasure of spending Christmas with my boyfriend's family for the past few years. Of course one of the main components of any holiday is delicious food, but being that no one else at my Christmas dinner is a vegan I was nervous about having options but didn't want to create any extra work for Andrew's mom, who always cooks an amazing meal.

Andrew's mom could not be more accommodating, but I wanted to contribute some delicious vegan fare of my own as well. I decided to make a big pasta salad, modeled loosely after one of my favorite pasta dishes from an Italian restaurant in my hometown. I also got a delicious looking pumpkin pie from Whole Foods, which will be my first taste of a vegan dessert! (I have been shying away from desserts since this is supposed to be a diet and all, but I am REALLY missing sweets).

I truly believe that you can throw anything in a bowl with some pasta and dressing and it will turn out well, but I must say that this pasta salad sets the bar pretty high. I used some of the ingredients from my beloved pasta dish (called gypsy pasta), and added some of my favorite things, like chick peas and spinach. I finished the whole thing with some Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette by Amy's Organic (can be found in most grocery stores), and I must say that after one bite I could tell it had turned out perfectly.

I used corn fusili from Trader Joe's, which is pasta made solely from corn meal. It is really delicious and has a nice al dente crunch when it's cooked. However, there are a plethora of vegan pasta options that you can find at Trader Joe's and many other grocery stores.

Here is what I used in my pasta salad, but feel free to add or substitute what you like!