Even before I eliminated gluten from my diet I preferred to eat quinoa pasta. I love the taste, texture, and high protein content. I often recommend it to clients looking to upgrade the nutritional value of their dishes (or get their toddlers to eat something healthier!). I’m still a committed quinoa pasta fan, but black bean pasta is making a run for my heart.
It is so seriously good! I used this Black Bean Pasta
and loved the clean ingredients (only black beans and water), springy texture, and fast cook time. Plus it is just such a fun alternative to traditional pasta. Not only does it look beautiful, but it has a slightly earthy flavor that combines really well with Asian flavors. I got right to work whipping up a huge bowl!
- ½ package black bean noodles
- 2 cups chopped mushrooms (shiitake are great in this!)
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 5 - 6 scallions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1+ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1+ tablespoon Bragg's liquid aminos, or tamari/soy sauce
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- Start a pot of water for the pasta.
- Chop and wash all the veggies for the sauté.
- Combine the minced garlic, ginger, and toasted sesame oil over medium/high heat. Sauté for 3 minutes and then add the mushrooms and peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the kale and scallions and cook for a final 3 minutes, or until everything is cooked through, but not mushy.
- Pull the sauté off the heat while you cook the pasta. Add the black bean pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions.
- Drain the pasta, combine with the sautéed veggies and top with fresh cilantro. Add an additional drizzle of toasted sesame oil and Bragg's if desired.
I love the versatility of recipes like this (and the Rice Noodle + Veggie Bowl). You can use basically whatever fresh veggies you have on hand. For me, kale, mushrooms, peppers, and scallions are part of my weekly shopping list, so I always have them in the fridge. But you could easily substitute in carrots, celery, arugula, collards, cabbage, radishes, zucchini, tomatoes etc. Go wild with experimentation! I have a feeling this will quickly become a staple dish in your kitchen.
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