Word to the Vegan Peeps

Some comedian or other has a shtick about vegans: it's cheap to have them over for dinner because all they can do is chew on the furniture. Oh ha ha. Not. Listen up, vegan-mockers: you've been eating vegan for years - you just haven't noticed. Truth is, you've undoubtedly mowed into many extremely tasty dishes without feeling compelled to shout, "Ah-HA! No butter! This sucks!"

For example: who wouldn't love this oh-by-the-way-it's vegan menu?

Coincidentally Vegan Dinner Party

Starters:
Fresh bruschetta on toasted baguette slices
Olives with lemon zest and rosemary
Warm Marcona almonds with kosher salt

Salad:
Arugula, peaches, and pan-toasted walnuts drizzled with honey vinaigrette (honey, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper)


Entree:
Orecchiette with cannellini beans and arugula

Dessert:
Balsamic summer fruit with biscotti


Not so bad, huh? And it's easy, too:


Orecchiette with Cannellini Beans and Arugula

• 1/2 lb. orecchiette pasta
• 1 – 14 oz. can of cannellini beans
• 1 lb. fresh arugula
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh rosemary
• 2/3 cup vegetable broth, or white wine, or a combo
• 2 tablespoons toasted pignoli (pine nuts)

Prep:

Set the water to boil. Chop the garlic. Snip the rosemary (use kitchen shears – ways easier than chopping). Dump the beans into a colander, rinse, and drain.

When the water comes to a boil, throw in the pasta and cook until it’s tender, about 10 minutes +/-. Drain it and set it aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan or wok to high and pour in the olive oil. Add the garlic, turn the heat down to medium, and shake the pan for 45 seconds so the garlic gets just the teeniest bit golden and crisp. Add the beans and sauté for 5 or 6 minutes, until they start to brown up in spots. Throw in the rosemary and sauté for another minute or so. Add the arugula and 1/3 cup of the broth, cover the pan and let it steam down for about 3 minutes. When the arugula is bright green and tender, add the pasta and the other 1/3 cup of broth. Toss everything to combine it. Add more broth if you like.

Serve in bowls topped with the toasted pignoli.

If you're feeling ambitious, grind the pignoli to the consistency of grated Parmesan and see if you can fool your meat-eating buds.