Kiss Me, I'm Vegan: Salsa Spaghetti

During a grocery excursion to Trader Joe's, a carton of heirloom tomatoes caught my eye. Their bright colors and variations promised a lovely salsa! After making salsa (by chopping the aforementioned tomatoes, adding lime juice, cilantro, and a hot pepper), I realized that although salsa has traditional been relegated to tortilla chips, why not branch out? My mother had made some wheat spaghetti but the oppressive heat and humidity deterred me from turning on the stove. I opened the fridge to grab the half-full can of black beans and saw my salsa. Although the fridge light did not come on, one in my mind did: why not make the salsa into a raw tomato sauce? I tossed in a few beans to give the sauce a bit more substance and added some fresh cilantro to pick it up a bit, and pureed it all together. Poured over hot whole wheat spaghetti and topped with a handful of black beans and a couple tomato halves, it made a lovely summer dinner.