I’ve never been a big fan of pasta: it tastes bland, sits heavy, and makes me feel like I’m in an uncomfortable food coma with a 6-months-pregnant food baby. J, however, loves the stuff and, sometimes, you just need to compromise. Lately, we’ve been following a vegan diet, which has allowed me to be resourceful and creative with my cooking. J returned from shopping one day with a mess of vegetables, allowing us to have many options for that night’s meal; usually, we’d make some type of soup or veg medley, but we were feeling innovative that day. Korea has a string mushroom (paengi beoseot) that costs about 50 cents per 150 grams, and seeing it immediately made me think of pasta. I sautéed them lightly and whipped up a tomato and basil sauce to top it- the result was amazing! Since then, I’ve made it with a few different sauces, all of which have been delicious. If you’re looking for a healthy alternative to pasta, you’ve come to the right place. Check out this recipe, and let me know what you think! Also, if you have any other pasta/noodle alternatives, comment below and share with the veggie world. Enjoy!
Prep time: less than 5 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes for mushrooms, 20 minutes for sauce
Ingredients:
- 300 g Korean string mushrooms, with bottoms chopped off
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 large tomatoes or a can of tomato paste (about 8 ounces)
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, finally chopped
- 2 chillies, finely chopped
- small handful of green onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 tbsp mixed herbs
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
Method:
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over low heat. Add garlic and cook for a few minutes, stirring lightly. Once the garlic has flavored the oil, add tomatoes/sauce, chillies, and herbs. Leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
In a separate pan, heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat- you don’t need anymore for the mushrooms, as they’re very delicate. Add the string mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Plate the noodles as you like, pour a dollop of tomato sauce, and top with peppers, onions, and fresh spring onion.
Yields 2 servings
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