So many ways to make pasta, so little time! Luckily you don’t need much time to prepare this spin on the classic spaghetti e olio which has been veganized with added texture and nutrition upgrades in an easy and flavorful dish. This pasta dish brings hot noodles together with seared mushrooms, sautéed kale, and crispy bread crumbs all coated in garlic, herbs, olive oil and a bit of nutritional yeast for some cheesy undertones. Dinner really can’t get any more delicious or simpler!
Searing mushrooms is the key to crisp edges and a juicy, no rubbery texture. It’s worth the effort of frying the mushrooms in batches if your pan isn’t large enough.
Spaghetti aglio e olio is often prepared with a bit of reserved pasta water, but we forgo that here to make sure the breadcrumbs remain crispy. To reheat leftovers, quickly pan-fry the pasta if you can instead of microwaving to maintain the textures.
Garlic Crumb Pasta with Seared Mushrooms and Kale
Ingredients
- 500 g spaghetti
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/4-1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bunches curly kale, deveined and broken into bite size pieces
- 16 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
- ½ tsp thyme, dried
- ½ tsp oregano, dried
- ⅓ cup + 5 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp salt
- chili flakes if desired
Instructions
- Prepare the noodles according to package directions. While that's happening, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms in a single layer without stirring them until they are browned on the bottom, about 2-3 minutes. You can stir them at this point (you may have to do this in batches so the pan isn't over crowded, just add a bit more oil to the pan each time so the mushrooms don't stick.) If you've done it in batches, add all the mushrooms back into the pan. Add the thyme and oregano. Cook for about 5-8 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked through and browned. Put the mushrooms in a bowl and cover to keep warm.
- Add another 2 tbsp of oil to the pan. Add the minced garlic, and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the panko bread crumbs. Stir constantly and watch they don't burn. Once they just start browning, add the nutritional yeast and salt. Cook for another 30 seconds or until the crumbs are nicely browned then put them in a bowl.
- Keeping the heat on the skillet, add the remaining tbsp of oil and sauté the kale just until vibrant green about 1-2 minutes. Toss everything together in the large pot you cooked your noodles in. Toss in chili flakes if you like a little heat, or sprinkle them on once served. Add salt/pepper to taste.