Chloe Coscarelli’s Straw and Hay Pasta

Here’s a recipe that’s perfect for one of those very chilly winter nights when all you want to do is stuff your face with pasta and sit on the couch with a good show on cue, but still feel kinda healthy.

It’s Chloe Coscarelli’s Straw and Hay Pasta from her first cookbook, Chloe’s Kitchen. The sauce for the pasta was actually featured on the blog paired with ravioli a few years ago.

So here it is, re-vamped. I mostly followed Chloe’s recipe, except I used all whole wheat linguine instead of a mix of regular and spinach linguine, I added in a touch of nutritional yeast, I used 2% cow’s milk instead of non-dairy milk, and I used greens instead of frozen peas.

The milk, nutritional yeast and tahini add protein and some healthy fat. The mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes add antioxidants, umami, and fiber to the dish.

Remember to keep things balanced by making sure most of your meals contain a source of protein (vegetarian, vegan, or not), a vegetable (or a few), and a starch (preferably whole grain).

And in my book, there’s always room for dessert on the table. And since dessert is on the table, why not go for these Molasses Spice Cookies?! Just a thought…

Chloe Coscarelli’s “Straw and Hay Pasta”

Whole Wheat Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and “Cream” Sauce

adapted from Chloe’s Kitchen 

1 pound (16 ounces) whole wheat linguine

2 cups milk (I used 2% milk, you could use a non-dairy milk to keep the recipe vegan)

1 cup water

1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot

2 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 – 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

10 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped

1 cup fresh greens, such as arugula or baby spinach (can also sub frozen peas)

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

To prepare the sauce: combine milk, water, cornstarch, tahini, soy sauce/tamari, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium size pot and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes. The mixture should bubble, boil, and thicken.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the mushrooms, along with the sun-dried tomatoes and greens. Stir in the finished sauce and toss.