Vote green

WHATEVER those guys at Greggs reckon, eating vegan can be a tough call sometimes – but one place you can trust to get it right is The Pasta Factory, Manchester’s first authentic ‘pastificio’. Everything is made from scratch daily using only the best fresh ingredients available seasonally either here or in Italy, so you can be sure that what’s gone into the plant-based plates you’re ordering is definitely plant based. 

The team at The Pasta Factory know a thing or two about bringing happiness through food, and they’ve given a lot of thought to what might make a ‘perfetto’ vegan meal. Their menus regularly change to reflect the time of year and, right now, three meat- and dairy-free main course dishes have captured our attention.

 Packing a punch (and perfect for those avoiding nuts) is the Bucatini All’Arrabbiata, created using The Pasta Factory’s homemade long hollow Bucatini spaghetti and a sauce made from Italian tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil slowly simmered with crushed chillies, fresh garlic and super scented basil. 

Another vegan dish based on spaghetti-type pasta – but this one green from the addition of spinach to that hand-mixed dough – is Spaghetti Verdi Con Crema Di Zucchine. The pasta is tossed in a surprisingly creamy sauce made of delicate courgettes, cashew nuts and basil leaves, then topped with The Pasta Factory’s homemade Parmegano vegan Parmesan cheese.

 Mushroom lovers will dive straight into the Triangoli Di Funghi in Salsa Al Tartufo – handmade triangular ravioli pasta parcels filled with a paste of mushrooms, garlic, fresh parsley and cashews, and dressed with a black truffle and porcini sauce, then garnished with authenticPiedmont black truffle. Earthy, to say the least!

Mains demolished, but we’ve left space for dessert – The Pasta Factory also offers plant-based puds and our hearts are set on the Ravioli di Cioccolato e Fichi. A handmade satin chocolate ravioli case, it’s filled with figs and dressed in a creamy coconut sauce with coconut chips for a perfect crunch.

 Choosing to sidestep meat and dairy doesn’t mean having to sidestep taste, and The Pasta Factory offers a great choice for going vegan – even if only occasionally.