Weekly Lunch Pick: a convincing pasta Bolognese (without pasta or meat) at Rawlicious
With beach season around the corner (or what passes for it in Toronto), it’s mighty tempting to abandon carb- or meat-heavy lunches in favour of something light, but still more satisfying than a bag of spring mix. Rawlicious provides a fancier alternative to boring carrot sticks and wilted greens with its nachos, collard green wraps, veggie-stuffed sandwiches and even warm pizzas, which are made on sprouted buckwheat and flax crust and feature mainly organic vegetables (apparently they don’t get heated up past 52°C).
The pasta Bolognese ($14) mimics the flavours and textures of the real thing to a surprising degree. Long tangles of thin zucchini noodles are tossed in a savoury mix of tangy marinara, garlicky pesto sauce and crumbled nut-based “neat” balls. Portions here are generous: this pasta is so hearty it could easily work as a large dinner main. A mildly tart tumbler of fresh-squeezed, agave-sweetened lemonade ($4) helps wash it all down.
The cost: $24 including tax and tip.
The time: 30 minutes to slowly savour our meal
Rawlicious, 20 Cumberland St., 416-646-0705, www.rawlicious.ca
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