You can’t go wrong with sautéed mushrooms and pasta!
Oh my gosh! This was so incrdeinly good! The umami from the seasoned mushrooms sautéed in butter and the hearty comforting chickpea linguine put this on our ‘must repeat’ list!
A quick and easy meal. For real!
Not only is this dish delicious, but it’s also really easy to put together. I had one pot of water at a rolling boil on one side of the stove, and on the other, a pan for sautéing the veggies. I threw most of the ingredients into the pan for a quick sauté. While the mushrooms were cooking up, I placed the chickpea linguine in the boiling water. As soon as the pasta was ready I drained it and transferred it into the pan with the other ingredients and gave it a little toss. A dash of chili flakes and a sprinkling of grated parmesan finished it off, and voila… a perfect dish in minutes!
Can I use any other pasta for this dish?
You sure can! Just cook your desired pasta per package instructions and then the rest of the steps in our recipe are the same. I think pastas like penne, pappardelle, fusilli, rotini and farfalle would also look and taste beautiful in this dish.
The recipe is for one. What if I have more mouths to feed?
The title says “for one” but you can easily multiply the ingredients by as many people as you plan on serving. Make sure to use a larger pan and pot if you’re cooking for more than just a couple.
Since I was originally testing this recipe, and wasn’t sure anyone else here would want chickpea pasta, I kept my quantities small. However, after sharing a bite with Liz and our son, Michael, I realized I should have made more. In fact, I was also craving a repeat of this dish all day while I was at the office. So when I got home from work the next day, I did the logical thing…I remade this meal. This time, I increased the quantities to ensure everyone could enjoy it with me.
Delicious pasta that’s full of protein, fibre, iron and has a low glycemic Index
The reason I used chickpea pasta is because it’s low on the glycemic Index. Since I have type 2 diabetes, this is a healthier option for me. I get to scratch my pasta-itch in a way that’s safer for me, and I don’t have to compromise on flavour. Chickpea pasta is also loaded with protein and fibre. Then factor in the nutrients and antioxidants from the spinach, and you have yourself a healthy vegetarian meal that’s also truly delicious! Yes, you can have it both ways!
I did use a bit of butter in this recipe, but if this is a concern for you, replace the butter with olive oil. Bam! You just made this vegan.
When you feel like you’re in a rut for dinner ideas, don’t underestimate the power of ingredients you likely already have in the pantry and fridge. Sometimes simple tweaks can upgrade simple ingredients and the ‘same old’ meals into something fresh and exciting.
Go on… give this chickpea pasta dish a try. If possible, multiply the quantities and enjoy with company. But heck, if that’s not possible, you’ll appreciate the leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. Either way, you’ll be making your today yummy! And that’s a beautiful thing!
Simple sautéed mushrooms, spinach and chickpea linguine for one
Ingredients
- 1/4 small red onion sliced thin
- 1 clove garlic sliced thin
- 1/4 red bell pepper sliced into strips
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp hot chili flakes + extra for the top if you like a little extra kick
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 cups packed baby spinach
- 100 g or 3.5oz chickpea linguine pasta (plus water and salt to cook the pasta. Salt the water like the ocean!)
- Grated parmesan cheese to top off the dish
Instructions
- Heat the water in a medium to large pot until it's bubbling. Follow the pasta packaging instructions for quantities. Our pot was filled 3/4 of the way with water.
- Add a generous amount of salt. The water should taste like the ocean. The quantity will depend on the size of your pot.
- Leave the water bubbling but don’t add the pasta just yet.
- On another burner, heat the butter on medium in a large pan.
- Once the butter is melted, add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms, salt, pepper, thyme and chili powder. Stir until the ingredients are well mixed.
- Cook for about 3 minutes and add the olive oil and wine.
- Keep stiring accasionally until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are cooked. Roughly 5 to 6 more minutes.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, add the chickpea fettuccine to the boiling water, loosen the pasta with a pasta scoop/server and let cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Our package said 6 minutes, but we under-cooked it a little and let it finish cooking in the pan (upcoming step).
- Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the baby spinach and mix/incorporate well with the other ingredients. Use tongs for this step.
- Your pasta should be cooked by now. Tansfer the pasta from the pot to the pan using your pasta scoop/server. It’s okay if a little bit of the pasta water is also transfered.
- Mix all the ingredients well with the tongs. If the mixture looks a little dry, use a ladle to transfer a little more pasta water from the pot to the pan.
- Cook for about a minute.
- Transfer the cooked pasta and mushroom mixture to a plate and grate some fresh parmesan over the pasta. Add more chili flakes if you like.
- Enjoy with crusty plain or garlic bread!
Notes
- If you plan on cooking for more people, make sure to use a large pot and pan.
- Feel free to use other types of pasta. Follow the packaging instructions.
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