Recipe and images courtesy of Nourishing Amelia, Award Winning Blogger
This mushroom & walnut spaghetti is the perfect dinner for all the family. It’s really easy to make but tastes wonderfully rich, flavoursome and luxurious! The sauce itself is quite simple but the addition of the walnut pieces adds something truly special to the dish, making it almost like a veggie bolognese. This meal not only tastes delicious but it’s also bursting with goodness such as plant-based omega-3’s and healthy fats from the walnuts, vitamin C from the red pepper and a whole lot of anti-oxidants and fibre too.
Ingredients: (serves 2)
- 2 servings spaghetti
- 1 x 400g tin finely chopped tomatoes
- 1 red pepper
- 200g mushrooms
- 50g walnuts
- 1/2 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- Small handful fresh basil – chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.
- Place the walnuts on a baking tray and roast for 5 minutes. The remove and allow to cool. Cook the spaghetti according to packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and return to the pan.
- While the spaghetti is cooking place a saucepan over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Chop the onion and add the the pan along with the crushed garlic. Cook on a low heat for a few minutes, allowing to soften.
- Slice the mushrooms and finely chop the red pepper (discarding the seeds). Add these to the saucepan and cook until soft.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato pureee, lemon juice, chilli flakes, dried herbs, salt & pepper to the saucepan. Stir well and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes. Stirring regularly.
- Add the roasted walnuts to a food processor and gently pulse until they’re broken down into very small pieces, but not a flour!
- Add the finely chopped walnuts to the saucepan with the sauce and stir well to combine.
- Pour the sauce into the pan with the spaghetti, add the fresh basil and stir well.
- The spaghetti is ready to serve!
