Plant-Based Chilli Mushroom Pasta

My favourite part about choosing a plant-based diet is how much pasta (and carbs in general) I get to enjoy. As the weather cools down I’m loving playing around with simple tomato pasta sauces, key word simple! This one is rich, delicious and oh so comforting.

Prep time 10mins Cooking Time 40mins

Serves 4 (or 3 if you like to serve up the way I do)

INGREDIENTS

5 large Portobello mushrooms

1 brown onion

3 cloves of garlic

1 fresh red chilli (or chilli flakes to taste)

1 small tub of tomato paste

1 cup of red wine

2 tbsps italian dried herbs

1 400g whole peeled tomatoes

1 jar of passatta sauce

Pinch of salt, pepper and sugar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 bunch of fresh parsley

1 packet of your favourite pasta

METHOD

Step 1 Clean and dice the mushrooms, onion and garlic

Step 2 Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the onion and garlic over a medium heat until the onion is soft (about 4mins)

Step 3 Add the chill and cook through for 1 min, then add the italian herbs

Step 4 Add the mushrooms and cook through for 3 mins, then add the red wine and let it cook through for another 3 mins

Step 5 Stir through the tomato paste and add the whole peeled tomatoes, use a potato masher to break down the tomatoes

Step 6 Add the passatta sauce and bring everything to a simmer, turn the heat down and add a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar, then leave to simmer for 20mins

Step 7 Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste, if it’s a little more acidic than you’d like add another pinch of sugar

Step 8 Cook pasta in salted boiling water as per instructions for your favourite pasta

Step 9 Wash and roughly chop the parsley then stir it through the pasta sauce

Step 10 Drain the pasta once cooked and serve the pasta sauce over the top, feast!

Serve up with a full bodied red wine if you’re that way inclined, I don’t drink often these days but when I do I can’t go past a glass of red from Samuel’s Gorge in McLaren Vale SA