How fun is this?! It’s like a science experiment…only way more delicious.
This recipe is a bit of a process, but it’s just so gosh-darn fun. I’m so excited to show you how to do it today!
So magical pasta…tbh, all pasta is magical to me. #carblove But when the color of the pasta [naturally] changes before your eyes, well that’s just a whole new kind of magic.
And is there a better time of year to make magical pasta? With Halloween coming up, closely followed by the holidays, this time of the year just screams “magical” to me.
From the crisps morning to the twinkling lights to the first snowfall…let’s add magical food to the mix, shall we?!
How to Make Magical Color-Changing Pasta
Step 1. Grab yourself some purple cabbage. Purple cabbage is one of my very favorite vegetables at the moment. Not only is it mind-blowingly beautiful (that purple color happens in nature, you guys), but it tastes great sautéed with some garlic and olive oil. And now? Now it can be used to color pasta.
Yes, really!
You’ll boil some purple cabbage in water for about 20 minutes. The water goes from being clear to that beautiful purple color at the top of that glass ^^. This is the water you’ll use to boil your pasta!
Step 2. Boil. That. Pasta. This is what it’ll look like after it cooks (not too colorful…yet):
Step 3. Time to make the magic! Toss your pasta in a delightfully light Lemon Garlic Olive Oil sauce…and watch it turn colors before your eyes! If you’re interested in food chemistry like me, this is a great resource to check out to see why exactly adding lemon to cabbage makes it change color.
The tl;dr version is that purple cabbage is an indicator, which means that it changes colors when it’s introduced to an acid or base. Lemon juice is an acid which will make our cabbage-water pasta bright pink.
Yes, bright pink:
Then you go ahead and garnish with all the delicious things! Parsley and vegan parmesan (yes, the recipe is coming soon. I promise) are what I chose, but some red pepper flakes would be delizioso as well. And I mean, how freaking amazing is that color?!
So fun, and perfect to show the kiddos. Be sure to toss the pasta in your sauce right at the table so that your friends and family can see the pasta change colors right before their eyes!
It really is magical. Enjoy, friends!
Magical Color-Changing Pasta (with Lemon Garlic Sauce)
https://www.fooduzzi.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/magical-color-changing-pasta-vegan-lemon-garlic-14.jpg
| Prep: | Cook: | Yield: serves 3-4 people | Total: |
An edible science project! A naturally dyed pasta made with purple cabbage and tossed with a light Lemon Garlic Olive Oil sauce! Naturally gluten free and vegan.
You'll Need...
- 1/2 medium head purple cabbage, cut into large chunks
- 1/2 lb. fettuccini, GF if necessary
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 small cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, juiced
- salt + pepper
- pasta water
- Toppings: fresh parsley, vegan parmesan, lemon zest, red pepper flakes
Directions
- Fill a large pot 3/4 the way up with water. Add your cabbage, and set over high heat. Let the water come up to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce to medium heat, and let cook for about 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove the cabbage with a pair of tongs or with a kitchen spider. Discard or save to sauté later.
- Bring the water up to a boil again, adding a large pinch of salt. Add your fettuccini, and cook according to package instructions.
- While your pasta is cooking, make your sauce. Heat a medium-large skillet over medium heat. The skillet should be large enough to fit your pasta. Add olive oil and shallot, and sauté for a minute. Add garlic, and continue sautéing. Add lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and let your pasta finish cooking.
- Once your pasta is al dente, use tongs or a kitchen spider to add it to the sauce. Some pasta water will end up in the skillet - that's okay because it'll thicken the sauce. Toss your pasta in the sauce and watch it turn bright pink! Top with your desired toppings (parsley, vegan parm, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, etc.), and enjoy!
Additional Notes
If you want to make a full pound of pasta here, double all of the ingredients except for the cabbage.
Inspired by Lauren Toyota (she showed something like this on Instagram once).
This is so insanely cool!! I love how lemon transforms colors… have you watched those instagram videos of the butterfly pea tea? It’s kind of the same idea, except the blue transforms to magenta :)
Thanks, Sarah!! I’ve seen the videos of butterfly pea tea – yes! So so cool. I love food science so much :)
Well, that is kinda neat.
How fun! And it looks really delicious too!
If you process the cooked red/purple cabbage into a paste and blend it into a basic pasta dough, AND use the cabbage water to cook it in, the color is more vibrant so you note the color change much clearer.