You asked, I answered! I did a little poll on Instagram yesterday, asking if y’all would be interested in seeing some of my camping / hiking recipes. I was expecting mixed answers, so I was really surprised to see a deluge of “yes”!! I’m so excited that you are down for this, and I can’t wait to share all my best outdoorsy recipes with you!
I know what you’re thinking….. Tasty? Backpacking?! PASTA?!! And you’re totally right, this does seem oxymoronic. But I’m really hoping to wow y’all with how easy and delicious this pasta is. You don’t even have to go backpacking to enjoy it, it’s easily made in the kitchen too!
But first of all, credit where credit is due. Ever since I was young, I’ve loved hiking and getting outdoors with my dad. He’s a veteran woodsman, with thousands of hours spent on trails. He even backpacked across America once, back when hitchhiking was legal! Fun fact – he’s also been able to start a fire from flint on ice. Like, a frozen pond of ice. (I have pictures if you want to see!)
Simultaneously, my boyfriend’s childhood and young adulthood was spent backpacking and camping with his family. He’s a pro at gathering the right type of wood, building a rip-roaring fire, pumping water to filter, and cooking on a Pocket Rocket (the stove you see in these pics!). So when we started dating, it was clear what we’d both be doing in our spare time!
However, I never thought I’d be able to merge my love of the outdoors with my love of cooking. I just thought that my culinary abilities would be wasted, in an outdoorsy context, on granola bar after granola bar. But then I came across a downright amazing resource, a blog called Fresh Off the Grid. Megan and Michael are a couple who took two years and car camped/backpacked across America and Canada. All along the way, they documented their foodie adventures and wrote up recipes for folks who love the outdoors. I spent a ton of time reading (nearly) all of their posts, and started to get a feel for what cooking in the backcountry would be like.
The more I read from Fresh Off the Grid, the more I realized that veganism translates extremely well to backpacking. I actually intend to write a whole post about this. The main benefit is that because veganism eschews meat, dairy, and eggs, the foods you eat are extraordinarily shelf-stable. Meaning, you can take a ton of vegan ingredients out on the trail with you for a few days, and not have to worry about them going bad. Jackpot!
Today’s recipe is an ode to shelf-stable ingredients. Everything you see here doesn’t have to be refrigerated, but you still end up with a super tasty and slightly creamy pasta. But don’t worry, if you’re not the outdoorsy type, you can still make this in your own kitchen. I tested it for you, and it still comes out fab! I hope you love this recipe!!
Tasty Vegan Backpacking Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz Pasta
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
- Pinch of Salt
- Black Pepper to taste
- Chili Flakes to taste
- 2 Tsp Parsley
- 1/2 Tsp Oregano
- 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Add in the pasta to your pot, either on your camp stove or your kitchen stove. Add in enough water so that the pasta is just covered (see recipe notes for more details).
- Bring the pot to a boil, and cook pasta until al dente, usually about 6-10 minutes depending on what type of pasta you used.
- When the pasta is done boiling, make sure you still have a little water left in the pot.
- Add in the olive oil, salt, and spices, and mix to combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
P.S.
If you make this recipe and post it on Instagram, be sure to tag me @wellandfull and #wellandfull so I can see! I love seeing your takes on my recipes :)
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