'meaty' marinara sauce atop rotini, minus the meat

     craving a hearty meal for lunch, i wanted to make something quite filling.  instead of reaching for the typical bottle of Prego sauce that i'm quite fond of, i thought i'd go rogue: make my own marinara sauce.  from scratch.  this would be my first time and following more of my instincts (and what i've had left in the fridge) than a said recipe.  to add that 'meaty' feel of a thick sauce, i used a familiar meat substitute, TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)) that can be found at any health food store (i bought mine at Potomac Adventist Book & Health Food Store). after a plateful of my creation, i am confident that it's good enough to share with you.

vegetarian marinara sauce with rotini

(prep: 10 minutes / cook: 40 minutes /servings: 6-8)

• 3 medium vine tomatoes (more on the 'soft' side)
• 1/4 c. fresh italian parsley, chopped
• 1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 c. dry TVP (i used 'beef' granules)
• 4 tbs. water
• 1 tbs. grapeseed oil (or oil of preference)
• 2 tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbs. brown sugar
• 1 tbs. italian seasoning
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. paprika
• crushed sea salt and crushed peppercorns to taste
• crumbled feta cheese to top *optional
• box of rotini or any other preferred pasta noodle 

1. heat oil in medium heat.  saute garlic until golden.  add all seasoning, except soy sauce and brown sugar.  at same time, soak TVP in a bowl with enough water to cover all of the granules.  cook rotini pasta in separate pot (follow instructions on box/bag).
2. drain TVP of excess water and add to oil and spices.  saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  add soy sauce and sugar.  cover pan and heat through for additional 5 minutes.
3. add vine tomatoes, parsley and basil to pan.  saute until tomatoes are very soft (10 minutes).  mix occasionally.  add water and crushed tomatoes.  heat through until simmering (about 15 minutes).  add salt and pepper to taste.  reduce heat to low.
4. add sauce over 'al dente' rotini and top with feta cheese and additional fresh basil leaves if preferred. NOTE:  al dente pasta is always the best way to cook your pasta, especially if your sauce has extra liquid.  this prevents the pasta from being soggy.