Mary McCartney knows vegetarian cooking. After all, she learned from one of the best: Her mother, Linda McCartney, was a pioneer in meat-free cuisine who wrote several cookbooks on the topic, and even started her own line of frozen vegetarian meals.
And Mary has taken up the mantle, as a cookbook author and the host of a new series on Discovery+, in which she instructs celebrity guests like Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, and her own father, Paul McCartney, on how to create a meat-free roast, a vegan pasta, and other dishes perfect for serving during the holidays.
Mary stopped by to share three of the recipes she’ll be making on Mary McCartney Serves It Up before the new episodes are released on Nov. 23. They’re all simple, take less than an hour to prepare, and are totally delicious.
Creamy Green Pasta
This dish is so satisfying and unctuous — I use unsweetened, plant-based light cream with greens tossed through. I then top with crispy, toasted breadcrumbs to add another texture and finish off this crowd pleaser.
Ingredients:
Pasta:
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
14 ounces (400 grams) tagliatelle or pasta of your choice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, trimmed, rinsed and finely chopped
5 ounces (1/2 head) broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
6 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and finely chopped (4 pieces)
2 tablespoons B12 nutritional yeast flakes
2 1/2 cups unsweetened plant-based single cream (light cream)
Zest of 1 lemon
Toasted Breadcrumbs:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 slices stale bread, processed to fine crumbs
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
Instructions:
For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta as per the
package instructions (10 to 12 minutes).
For the toasted breadcrumbs: Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the
extra-virgin olive oil. Once hot, add the breadcrumbs, along with a good seasoning pinch
of salt and pepper, and fry, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes.
Now stir in the chopped parsley and tip out into a bowl. Set aside.
Now add the olive oil to the same pan, then add the chopped leeks and broccoli florets
and sauté until just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in the peas, chopped spinach
and B12 flakes.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the plant-based cream. Return the pan to the
heat and season with a big, generous pinch of sea salt and a generous helping of black
pepper. Add the zest of the lemon.
Drain the cooked pasta and add to the pan, tossing to coat in the sauce. Sprinkle with the
crispy breadcrumbs and serve.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Roasted Toasted Salad
This salad has the perfect balance of textures and ingredients: roasted sweet shallots and butternut squash, on a bed of fresh green leaves, topped with the crunch of pecans, pumpkin seeds, and crispy fried onions.
Ingredients:
Salad:
1 small butternut squash (600 grams), peeled, seeded and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
12 round shallots, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup pecans, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
5 ounces mixed salad leaves, such as rocket (arugula), watercress and baby spinach
1/2 small round radicchio, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons shop-bought crispy fried onions
Dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Flaky sea salt
Instructions:
For the salad: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C/Gas mark 4).
Arrange the butternut squash and shallots on a baking tray (baking sheet), drizzle with the
olive oil and balsamic vinegar and mix together. Sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt and a
pinch of black pepper.
Bake until the squash and shallots are lightly browned and tender, about 35 minutes,
checking halfway through to give them a mix around.
Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed skillet (no need to add oil), toast the pecans and
pumpkin seeds over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Tip the nuts into a bowl
and set aside.
For the dressing: Whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt in a
cup or jar.
Lay the mixed salad leaves and radicchio wedges on a large serving board or platter.
Arrange the roasted shallots and squash on top. Drizzle over the dressing. Then sprinkle
over the toasted pecans and pumpkin seeds and crispy onions.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Bloody Mary Dip with Focaccia Skewers
This is an excellent easy party appetizer, if you’ve got guests for a daytime (or anytime) get-together.
Ingredients:
Dip:
14 ounces (400 grams) tomato passata (uncooked tomato puree)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (vegan, no anchovies)
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
2 ounces vodka, optional
Dash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
Focaccia Skewers:
20 small pimento-stuffed green olives
3 sticks celery, strings peeled away and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 ounces good-quality store-bought focaccia, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Instructions:
For the dip: Put the tomato passata, oil, tomato paste, vinegar, Worcestershire, celery salt,
vodka if using and hot sauce into a medium sauté pan or saucepan over medium heat and
simmer until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
For the focaccia skewers: Meanwhile, thread an olive, piece of celery and cube of
focaccia onto each co*cktail skewer.
Pour the dip into a serving bowl, place on a board and arrange the dipping skewers next
to it. The dip can be served warm or at room temperature.
Special equipment: 20 co*cktail skewers
Yield: 6 servings
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
