Pasta with Caramelized Onion Trio, Arugula, and 'Mozzarella'

I don't often make pasta dishes, but every once in a while, there's no harm. This one has lots of nice fresh veggies to balance all those carbs. It makes a good dinner for two, or can be doubled for four.

Heat a teaspoon and a half of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add one cup thinly sliced leek, 3/4 cup chopped white onion and two tablespoons of diced green onions. Saute for five minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for twenty minutes until golden brown, stirring every five minutes or so.

While the onions cook, bring water to a boil and cook 4 oz linguine according to package directions. As a rule, I always go for whole wheat varieties over regular pasta, since it will be more nutrient-rich, especially in terms of fiber and B vitamins. Drain the linguine and then return to the pot.

Pour half a cup of vegetable broth into a small skillet. Bring to a boil (it will take only a minute or two), then add two tablespoons dried currents and a teaspoon and a half of balsamic vinegar. Add the broth mixture to the onion mixture, along with 2 tablespoons of soy cream and a 1/4 tsp of salt.

The best soy creamer comes from Silk. It is thicker in consistency than soy milk, mimicking the difference between regular dairy milk and dairy cream, and so, of course, also works great in coffee! Silk sells several varieties, including hazelnut and vanilla, but use the regular flavored 'cream' for this recipe. http://www.silksoymilk.com/

Add one cup of chopped arugula, 1/4 cup cubed vegan mozzarella cheese (i.e. Galaxy Foods' version) and a dash of dried thyme to the onion mixture. Pour the whole thing over the linguine and toss well to coat.

Place 1 1/4 cups of the pasta on each of two plates (420 calories per serving).

Cost:
leek $1.64
white onion $1.25
green onions $0.99
linguine $1.99
vegetable broth $2.39
currants $2.79
soy cream $1.79
arugula $2.50
'mozzarella' $3.39