Bold and candid, Harry Potter’s Luna Lovegood never backs down from her beliefs. Perhaps that’s why producers chose actress Evanna Lynch to play her character onscreen. 

After years of eliminating meat from her diet, Lynch became plant-based in 2015. Since then, she has been outspoken about the benefits of plant-based eating and has inspired newcomers to join her.

“When I went vegan I did it out of love for animals; I didn’t anticipate veganism loving me back by giving me better health, better friendships and a sense of personal equilibrium I didn’t know was missing – but that’s exactly what it did,” she told us.

As an outspoken animal advocate, Lynch has even narrated Animal Equality’s 360-degree virtual reality project. Called iAnimal, this immersive experience takes viewers behind-the-scenes to witness dairy farm cruelty. 

Lynch even partnered with Love Veg to share one of her favorite plant-based recipes.

“It’s hard for me to pick a classic ‘summer’ recipe because I spent so many years as a vegetarian who didn’t like vegetables and for the most part couldn’t even recognize them in their natural state,” she said.

“I know you’re supposed to want to roll around on a bed of spinach and bathe in grapefruit juice in summer, but I never stray too far from my starch-happy beetroot-less roots,” she added. “I like this recipe because it’s gloriously pasta laden while still managing to pump a shocking amount of kale into my system in a really delicious way. And you can eat it cold too and call it a ‘salad.’ It totally counts. This recipe is from Lighter.”  

celeb_recipes_evanna_lynch_kale_ricotta_pasta_salad

Ingredients

  • Whole wheat pasta, 1 cup
  • Extra firm tofu, 0.5 block
  • Unsalted cashews, 0.5 cup
  • Kale, 1 bunch
  • Water, 0.5 cup
  • Garlic, 2 cloves
  • Nutritional yeast, 4 tablespoons
  • Dried basil, 1 teaspoon
  • Olive oil, 1 tablespoon
  • Salt & pepper

Preparation

  1. Cook the whole wheat pasta according to the directions on the box.
  2. Produce Prep: Rinse the kale and chop it into tiny bite-sized pieces. Peel the garlic.
  3. Blend the unsalted cashews, dried basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and water in a high-powered blender or food processor. (Feel free to omit the oil for an oil-free version).
  4. In a bowl, mash the extra firm tofu with a fork. Pour the unsalted cashew seasoning mixture over the extra firm tofu and stir to combine. (Depending on the water content of the extra firm tofu, your ‘ricotta’ may require extra liquid. Add olive oil and/or unsweetened plant-based milk for extra flavor and liquid, and salt to taste.)
  5. Add a little bit of water to a pot, pan or wok with a tight-fitting lid. Bring up to medium heat. Add kale and cover to cook for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add the ‘ricotta’ mixture to the pan (pour it over the kale in the pan or wok), and then cover. Reduce heat to low and heat until the ricotta is warm throughout (3-5 minutes).
  7. Top the whole wheat pasta with the kale and ‘ricotta’ mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!