Creamy Mushroom Pasta

This is a hearty pasta dish to get you through the colder days. It is lightly seasoned with a bite of chili, Italian herbs and nutritional yeast.

Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time 25 – 30mins  Serves: 2 

Ingredients

• 2 cups pasta shells
• A glug of olive oil
• 1 small onion finely diced 
• 1 tsp (5ml) garlic paste
• 2-3 red chillies broken into small pieces or ½ -1 tsp crushed chili flakes.
• 250g mushrooms cleaned and sliced
• Salt to season 
• 1 tsp (5ml) dried Italian herbs.
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 each small red and green peppers finely diced
• 2 ½ cups (625ml) almond milk (divided)  
• 4 tbsp (60ml) cornstarch 
• ¼ cup (60ml) nutritional yeast
• Fresh parsley to garnish 

Let’s Cook

• Boil pasta as per instructions on the packet – keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a pot 
• Toss in the onions and chillies – cook until the onions are translucent.  
• Spoon in the garlic paste – fry for a few seconds.
• Throw in the mushrooms, season with salt.  Stir and cook until the mushrooms reduce in size.
• Add the Italian herbs, turmeric powder and peppers – cook for a few minutes.  
• Pour in 2 cups of almond milk.  Bring this to a boil. 
• Mix the 4 tablespoons of cornstarch with the balance of the half cup of almond milk.  Pour this mixture into the pot and keep stirring.  The sauce will start to thicken.  Bring to a boil then lower the heat.  Add the nutritional yeast and let this simmer for 10-12 minutes.   Stir in the pasta – Remove from heat. 
• Serve in bowls and garnish with parsley and extra chill if you like.