Most people love pasta. Pasta is special to me. It brings back wonderful memories. I grew up eating pasta every Saturday. My family gathered around my parents' forty-eight-year-old dining table. Twenty, even thirty people. We talked about school, friendship, values, experiences, art, and parties; just about everything. And we told jokes. It was always a party.

Pasta was only the excuse. The reason to get together was mainly to keep in touch with our loved ones and share the moments that brought warmth to our hearts and smiles to our faces, to embrace each other, to listen to the children sing the songs they learned in school.

Pasta will always mean family to me. When I make pasta, I think of my family and when I see my baby girl sitting on her daddy's lap, eating from his pasta bowl, I'm reminded once again, that family is everything.

Ingredients:

1. 1/3 cup Nutiva Organic Buttery Coconut Oil
2. 2 tbsp. crushed organic garlic crushed garlic
3. 3 tbsp. organic nutritional yeast
4. 1 tbsp. organic dried oregano
5. Sea salt and freshly crushed pepper to taste
6. 1 Lb. Organic Penne Rigate Pasta

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan melt coconut oil, add garlic and sauté until cooked.

2. Add nutritional yeast and mix until it's creamy, and season well with sea salt and freshly crushed pepper.

3. Pour sauce into large bowl.

4. Cook pasta for 12 minutes or according to instructions.

5. Drain well and immediately toss with the sauce.

6. Mix well and sprinkle with dried oregano.

7. Serve warm.

This is a very easy recipe that everyone at home will like-- even picky children. Enjoy!

* Tips:

• Feel free to add more herbs; basil, parsley, sage, etc. and vegetables. 
• Some great add-in ideas are mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, artichokes, and olives.
• You can use any type as pasta; capellini, linguine, spaghetti, and it also works great with gnocchi.

*Image courtesy Flickr creative commons