It’s clearly the year of the mushroom. When the ball dropped on January 1, 2022, we all learned how to spell shiitake and maitake. And the elevation of the mushroom hasn’t slowed down 3 months in.
Mushroom pastas and soups are often creamy: Cream of mushroom soup, pasta with mushrooms and a stroganoff vibe. The dairy-free equivalent is often cashews or coconuts, both of which I love. But I choose white beans for creaminess more often than nuts. I find white beans add more flavor than do nuts, and not everyone can tolerate nuts. So a recipe with white beans tends to be more accessible to more people. But really I just love the taste of white beans.
This dish gets an influx of flavor from fennel seeds, smoked chili flakes, vegetable broth and white wine. The flavors go just so well together: a little heat, a little anise, some earthiness. The white beans, of course, add creaminess, and the kale gives the dish bulk and texture. Spaghetti is the perfect pasta for this, in my mind, but definitely use any pasta variety you like—and certainly this dish would work wonderfully on its own, without pasta.
The necessary tools for this dish are simply a pot for the pasta, a pan for the sauce and a grater for the lemon zest. Enjoy, and leave a comment below if you try it!
A creamy mushroom pasta with a magical combination of fennel seeds, smoked chili flakes and white wine.
15 Minutes
30 Minutes
45 Minutes
Step 1
Boil a pot of salted water and cook the pasta according to package instructions. While the pasta cooks, add the avocado oil to a large pan over medium heat, and let shimmer. Add the garlic and shallot, and stir. Add the salt, and stir. Add the fennel seeds and smoked chili flakes, and stir. Cook altogether for 1 minute.
Step 2
Add the beans and 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Let simmer but not boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and add the mushrooms. Stir to mix with spices, and add the white wine. Turn heat to low, and allow the alcohol to burn off. Mix well, so that mushrooms are integrated with garlic, shallot, beans and spices.
Step 3
Add the kale, mix and add the last 1/2 cup of vegetable broth. You may cover the mixture to steam the kale a bit, or leave the cover off and stir to help break it down. Add the lemon juice, and mix.
Step 4
When the pasta is al dente, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the spaghetti, and add it to the pan. Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to start, and mix, and integrate the spaghetti with the sauce. Add the last 1/2 cup of pasta water, and mix. Take the pan off the heat. Add lemon zest, and taste for salt.
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