MeatlessMonday Recipe

Today, for #MeatlessMonday, I’d like to share an easy pasta recipe.

Penne with asparagus, peas and mushrooms

Yealds: 2 Servings        Total Time: 30 minutes (10’ Preparation, 20’ cooking)

Nutrition per serving:     Kcal 384    Carbs 66.5g        Fat 8.9g/ Sat Fat          Protein 16g

Ingredients:

• 100g thin asparagus (3.5 oz. or a bunch of 15-20)
• 100g white mushrooms (3.5 oz., 10 pieces)
• 100g frozen peas (3.5 oz., 7 tsp)
• 150g penne rigate (5.3 oz.)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cream cheese
• 1 clove garlic
• Curry powder
• Chili flakes or powder

Instructions:

• Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus (an inch or so), then cut them in 1-inch pieces. Slice the mushrooms. Cut the garlic in small pieces.
• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, add the garlic and the frozen peas, a pinch of curry powder, some chili flakes. Stir for a minute then add some water to cover the peas and cook for 5 minutes. Start preparing the pasta (see below for the instructions).
• Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Stir and add a bit of water if needed. At this point add the asparagus and cook for 5-7 more minutes.
• Add the penne. Stir in a table spoon of cream cheese and toss until it becomes creamy. If needed, you can add a little bit of the pasta water to moisten.

For the pasta:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. My penne took almost 11 minutes. Drain but save some of the water.

Notes:

As you can see, I didn’t add any salt. I use spices so I really don’t need salt, especially when the recipe includes cheese which is already salty. In case you prefer to add salt, you can add a pinch of it to the pasta water and/or to the veggies.

You can use Parmigiano Reggiano cheese instead of cream cheese.

This pasta tastes good even if served cold. You can prepare some extra and bring it to work the next day. In this case, don’t add the cheese.