Hello lovelies! We first had this recipe last week when I was so tired after work. Working in retail in the holiday season is no joke, but especially during a pandemic--all that extra work of wiping stuff down and keeping track of numbers of customers makes for a very tired Spidergrrl. Now as the virus has mutated, I am suddenly off work as nonessential shops are closed. I am still quite tired so it is great to have something quick and easy and delicious in my pocket.
I saw THIS RECIPE on the BBC website recently--it was a Nigella Lawson recipe so I wasn't holding out much hope. But I was pleasantly shocked that at the bottom she listed a way to make it vegan.
Her recipe called for
Spaghetti--yep
Garlic--yep
Water from a just boiled kettle--yep
Chili flakes--yep
Parmesan cheese--no problem, use a vegan substitute
3 TB olive oil--no problem, use some vegetable stock
Chard--no problem, substitute my old favourite kale
8 anchovy fillets--nope! But these were there to give a punch of umami flavour so I knew I could substitute something. Can't remember what umami is? Click {HERE} to refresh yourself.
It sounded fast and it sounded delicious--and it was on both counts. This will definitely be added to the rotation. To substitute for the umami of the anchovies I used mushrooms cooked in tamari/soy sauce and a bit of yeast extract (Like Marmite...but the Tesco brand one which is gluten free.)
Umami Spaghetti
1 white onion, diced very small
6 cloves crushed garlic
100g button mushrooms, diced small
2.5 TB tamari or soy sauce, divided
3/4 tsp yeast extract, divided
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
100g kale, destemmed and torn into bits
200g dried (GF) spaghetti
2 TB parmesan cheese (and more for serving) like Good Karma or make your own (see recipe below)
1. Fill your kettle. Fill your pasta pot with 1/2 cup water.
2. In a larger pot, cook your onion and mushrooms in the vegetable stock until it is softened and most of the liquid is gone. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and 1 TB of tamari/soy sauce and 1/2 tsp yeast extract. Stir to coat.
3. Start your pasta pot water on high and boil your kettle. Add your boiling water to the pasta pot and put the lid on and in a minute you will have a pot of boiling water. Add your pasta and set the timer for whatever the recommended cooking time is (mine is 8 minutes). Stir for a few minutes until the pasta releases some starch and turns cloudy. Scoop 1/2 cup of that starchy water and put it in with the umami mushrooms and add the kale and turn up the heat to medium. Keep stirring the kale in the starchy water until it wilts and reduces.
4. Before you drain your spaghetti, scoop out another half a cup pasta water. Drain your pasta and put it in with the greens and umami mushrooms. Add the additional 1.5 TB tamari/soy sauce and an additional 1/4 tsp yeast extract.
5. Add a TB or two of the saved pasta water if it seems claggy and doesn't stir well.
6. Stir in 2 TB parmesan cheese. Use additional parmesan to taste.
That's it. This was crazy delicious, full of flavour, filling and done in under 30 minutes.
Parmesan Cheese
3 TB ground almonds
3 TB nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Blend together. Store leftovers in the fridge.
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