Oyster mushroom pasta with feta cheese, radicchio and fresh herbs is a creamy, comfort food dish but sans all the guilt. The recipe has been updated to include my vegan version as well.
It's been a typical January for us around here - sick with bad colds and not eating anything too fancy. We have been drinking lots of juice, lots of smoothies, lots of tea and soup!
Today however, I was craving cooking after a few days of a same-old same-old. This time, I had a strong urge to make something really hearty and comforting yet still fresh and pretty and something I'd feel good eating. So gluten-free oyster mushroom pasta it was!
I don't usually push too much cheese and dairy on this blog but when I do, it's usually feta and sometimes a little raw milk parmesan. High-quality sheeps milk feta is so tangy that nothing vegan really compares to it. (until 2021 when Follow Your Heart came out with tangy sour feta cheese, that we love!).
I can't eat rich pasta without fresh herbs on top; It's a weird habit of mine to load up fresh stuff into my bowl of noodles. It just doesn't seem right to cook everything and just coat it in a thick heavy sauce. And it's never as pretty without fresh greens either. Adding crispy, fresh, flavorful herbs turns a good dish into an interesting GREAT one. And then toasted nuts as a garnish - over the top, total game changer!
The radicchio is bitter; rainbow radish is crunchy; arugula sprouts are flavorful and well, pretty; and the toasted hazelnuts are nutty! The combination is just perfect.
You can play around with similar herbs and nuts or seeds if you'd like. Get creative, I challenge you! Why not? It will only hone your cooking skills.
Why Oyster Mushrooms
There is more to the world of mushrooms than portobellos and button mushrooms. I love oyster mushrooms and here's why.
- Taste - The taste of oyster mushrooms is mild, and woody or even like seafood.
- Texture - What makes them so so unique is their texture. Pearl oyster and king oyster mushrooms both can have a very meaty texture when prepared properly!
- Nutrition - packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals which help keep your body healthy and defend against disease. Niacin, Vitamin D and Iron are all prevelant in the oyster mushroom family. These is GREAT news for the vegetarians and vegans. Those nutrients are hard to come by.
Oyster Mushroom Pasta with Feta (no cream)
Ingredients
- 3 cups Oyster mushrooms chopped
- 2 tablespoon Shallots or red onion chopped
- ½ teaspoon Sea salt divided
- ¼ head Raddichio thinly sliced
- 1 Rainbow radish thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Arugula sprouts
- ¼ cup Hazelnuts
- ¼ cup Olive oil + 1 Tbsp
- 1 teaspoon Tamarind paste
- 1-2 tsp Agave nectar
- 7 oz Feta cheese
- 8-10 oz GF pasta noodles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and cook hazelnuts until browned but not burned. About 4-5 minutes, depending on your oven. A small toaster oven is best for toasting nuts. Chop nuts when cool.
- In a sauce on medium heat pan, you'll want to saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil and sea salt. Let them cook until bottoms are browned about 2-3 minutes. Using a metal spatula flip the mushrooms and cook again for another 2 minutes. Add shallots/onion. Toss again. About 4 minutes.
- You'll want to keep tossing and browning until moisture is gone. About 5 more minutes. You don't want them to burn but they will be pretty browned and dry on each side.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, you'll want to chope the radicchio into small slivers (julienne) as well as the radishes. You don't want to thick slices.
- Boil water for pasta.
- In a separate bowl, you'll want to whisk lemon juice, 1 cup olive oil, sea salt, tamarind paste, and agave nectar. Set aside.
- Once the water comes to a full boil, follow directions on the package and cook pasta. About 4-15 minutes depending on the pasta you choose. Once cooked. Drain pasta well.
- Add the lemon olive oil dressing and the feta and the sauteed mushrooms/onion. Mix well in a nice serving platter.
- Garnish the pasta dish with herbs, toasted nuts, more feta, and sprouts.Serve and eat right away while still warm.
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