Rustic Pasta...the Rusticker the Better!

When I first scanned over the recipe for Rustic Pasta last night I could only think how late I was going to be eating due to a late meeting and the man wanting to go for a run (can't pass up a run when I just got new shoes!).
But, alas, the kindness of the universe fell upon me and the meeting was cancelled. I arrived home thinking I would have my work cut out for me, then read the recipe more thoroughly and realized it only looked lengthy because Alicia added in a nice lil note about making garlic bread to go with the dish!
As I waited for the water to boil for the pasta I chopped the veggies. Two whole onions (whew! cry!), garlic, celery, and cabbage (lots n lots of cabbage). I did not have the shoyu (where in the world do I get this?!?) and not having it only intrigues me more...
Pasta was boiled and waiting as I eagerly sauteed the onions. They cooked up a lot faster than the recipe stated (odds are it was more me and not the recipe) and I added all the other veggies in the order in which they appear in the recipe (like an kind cook would do). Now, the cabbage had me perplexed for a bit. There was a lot of cabbage and NOT a lot of room in my pan but it cooked and worked its way into a nice noodle-looking, smaller version of what it once and all was well in the world. Added the pasta, then the sauce, and stared, in wonder, at this crazy combo of good, healthy food. Rustic? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely. Surprised? Most definitely. Why? Because the thought of all these foods (the cabbage and onion to be exact...because I am not a fan) joining forces to make a dish this fantastic was not something I was prepared for upon my first bite.
This vegan is ready to be surprised again tomorrow!

On the menu for Wednesday- a recipe with saffron threads. WHAT are those?