CONCORD, N.H. – Even vegetarian Thanksgiving dinners need turkey.
That may sound a bit heretical, but it’s true. The act of coming together and giving thanks is most sincere and appreciated when the traditions of everyone at your table are honored.
You are rare indeed if you belong to a completely meat-free family. If so, let loose the tofu turkey, vegan giblets, butterless mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy.
My family is an awkward combination of picky carnivores, vegans, macrobiotics and run-of-the-mill vegetarians. And when it comes to Thanksgiving the only agreement is tradition is a must.
So turkey always lands on our table, as well as vegan and conventional varieties of mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. The rest of the meal, however, is up for grabs.
Honoring traditions doesn’t mean Thanksgiving can’t be a time to test new tastes. In an effort to keep the meal interesting for cooks and guests, we change our remaining sides year to year depending on our mood and cravings
In the past we have given the meal an Asian flavor, accompanying the turkey with sushi, peanut noodles, pad Thai and spring rolls. Mashed potatoes spiked with wasabi can be a real treat.
This year we are leaning toward Italian. With its natural, rustic goodness, Italian food is perfect for Thanksgiving. Though mashed potatoes are a must, potato wedges roasted crispy with olive oil and fresh rosemary would be nice, too.
Even traditional dishes can get in on the theme. Give the turkey a rub with Italian seasonings. Mix a bit of goat cheese and fresh sage into the mashed potatoes. Bake a few loaves of Tuscan-style unsalted bread instead of the usual dinner rolls.
Too many people worry about what will take the turkey’s place on vegetarians’ plates. Stop worrying. Rather, pick your theme and let the meal shape itself. For our Italian dinner, lasagna will hold its own against the turkey.
Or don’t have a main vegetarian dish at all. An assortment of sides is as satisfying, and often more interesting than a dominant dish.
If your diners are more daring, use a less common theme to remind people that Thanksgiving celebrates a melding of cultures. Indian seasonings (curried potatoes? flatbread? chutney chickpeas?) would fill the home with heady and warm aromas.
My fantasy Thanksgiving is one where guests bring dishes drawn from their heritage. This might mean kielbasa and curried tofu share the table with cornbread and sashimi, but that’s the joy of the holiday.
For our Italian-inspired family feast, we’ll turn to platters of dressed with a variety of meat and vegetarian-friendly sauces to provide that belly-bulging satisfaction we’ve come to associate with the holiday.
We’ll start with lasagna, rich with cheese and marinara. From there we will try fettuccine with spicy chickpeas and linguini with chopped walnuts and parsley, both from Michele Scicolone’s “Italian Holiday Cooking” ($35).
To that we will add our own ziti with Italian soy sausage, olives and cranberries, a savory-and-sour mix of bright and spicy flavors with a nod to the holiday.
The real joy of these pasta dishes is the ease with which they come together at the last minute. Most lasagnas can be made weeks ahead of time and frozen. The other three can be prepped early and completed just 20 minutes before serving.
Don’t forget dessert. We’re keeping the pumpkin pie, but adding a batch of biscotti. The crunchy cookies will contrast nicely with the pie, and be one more reason to linger over coffee.
Fettuccine and chickpeas
1/4cup olive oil
2garlic cloves, finely chopped
1small dried peperoncino, crumbled, or a pinch crushed red pepper
115-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1cup water
1small bay leaf
Salt
3/4pound fresh fettuccine
Combine the oil, garlic and hot pepper in a saucepan large enough to contain all ingredients, including the cooked pasta. Cook over a medium-low flame for 1 minute, or until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the chickpeas, water and bay leaf. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing half of the chickpeas with the back of the spoon. Salt to taste.
Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, or tender yet firm to the bite. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water.
Add the fettuccine to the saucepan with the chickpeas. Toss well while heating over a medium flame, adding a bit of the cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Serve hot.
Makes four servings.
From Michele Scicolone’s “Italian Holiday Cooking”
Good Friday pasta
1cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4cup dry bread crumbs
1/4cup olive oil
2garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt
1pound linguine or spaghetti
Combine the walnuts and bread crumbs in a food processor or blender and process until finely chopped.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium flame. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the nut mixture, parsley and salt, to taste. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, bring at least 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, or tender yet firm to the bite. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.
Immediately toss the pasta with the nut mixture. Add a bit of the reserved water if the pasta seems dry. Serve immediately.
Makes six servings.
Recipe from Michele Scicolone’s “Italian Holiday Cooking”
Ziti with cranberries and Italian soy sausage
1 pound ziti pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
4 large links (about 1 pound) Italian soy sausage, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh cranberries
Salt
Bring a large stockpot of lightly salted water to a boil over a high flame. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, combine the oil and red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute. Add the soy sausage and olives and cook 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook another 3 minutes, or until the pasta is heated through.
Add the pasta to the skillet and toss with cranberry and sausage mixture. Cook for 30 second, or until evenly heated. Salt to taste. Serve immediately.
Makes six servings.
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