This prompt will result in a flurry of childhood or family recipes being veganized, I've no doubt. Like everyone else, I, too, have one of those old family recipes hanging on the back shelf waiting to be improved.
My recipe is an old traditional Hungarian recipe that is really quick and easy. It is called Túrós CSusza which translates basically to cheese pasta.
I remember my mom or dad making this very often and the only thing preventing me from making it vegan is the Quark Cheese, which seemed exotic to me at the time. Ultimately, it is just a soft cheese curd of sorts that can be subbed with any good crumbled vegan cheese - or even tofu, when push comes to shove.
This meal consists of pasta with a sauce made of quark cheese (almost like cottage cheese), sour cream and bacon. Seasoned with salt and plenty of black pepper, this is a very fast meal to throw together, given you have vegan bacon and a few store-bought ingredients on hand.
So, after 15 or so years, I stocked up on the requisite ingredients and finally decided to make this family recipe that also happens to be in many other Hungarian family's meal rotations.
I used the crisp vegan bacon from Everyday Vegan Eats (Amazon, B&N) because it is our favorite. I made a triple batch in order to have enough bacon to make the California Club Sandwiches (also from EVE) later in the week, and then I went to work re-creating this pasta dish.
Below is the recipe and I hope you enjoy!
As an aside, over the past few days I've had a few questions regarding substitutions in the recipes in my new cookbook Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N). One was a nut replacement request because of allergies.
If you have bought the book and need substitutions for an ingredient, please contact me and I will be more than happy to help in any way I can. In addition, I will be starting a page on this blog specifically for nut substitutes as that is the only primary allergen that the book does not include substitutes for (due to lack of space).
I am hosting an International giveaway of the Kindle edition of Vegan Bowls. Enter HERE. Contest ends Monday night, September 21.
Truros Csusza
Makes 4 servings
12 ounces pasta, rotelli, shells, etc.
8 ounces nondairy cream cheese
10 ounces nondairy sour cream
2 to 4 tablespoons mashed tofu or vegan cheese
1 cup chopped crisp vegan bacon (Everyday Vegan Eats has a delicious vegan bacon recipe)
Sea salt and plenty of ground black pepper
1. Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, tofu and ¼ cup of the bacon in a medium saucepot. Mix well and heat over medium heat until warmed through. Season with salt and black pepper. Toss half of the sauce with the pasta. Serve in bowls garnished with the rest of the sauce and bacon. Season with more cracked black pepper and serve.
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