The title of this recipe is a mouthful, but you won’t care when… you get a mouthful. *badum chhh* I’ll be here all weekend, folks.
This is a pretty simple recipe and, as usual, meal preppable! It’s a good transition into fall, when Autumn Equinox has passed and you want to wear sweaters and boots but you can still sunbathe on the lawn. Best of both worlds, IMO!
Late-summer tomatoes, fall sweet potatoes, and coconut milk make up the sauce, and I used honey mushrooms that I harvested myself! Some friends took me on a shroom-hunting adventure and we hit the jackpot. You can use whatever your favorite mushrooms are.
My friend Marissa told me that all my recipe descriptions make her feel like a delicious snack is protecting her body from everything bad in the world, so let’s get to the health benefits, shall we?
Mushrooms
- Excellent immune boosters! They modulate the immune system (turning its function up or down as needed), and stimulate the cells that seek and destroy the bad guys. I used to think they had no nutritional value because they were so spongy and weird and one of my friends told me so (I know, great reasoning), but they’re high in B vitamins that are essential for nerve health, mental health, and energy production as well.
Sweet Potato
- Our Vitamin A hero! An antioxidant beneficial for the health of our eyes, skin, bones, and immune system. I admittedly peeled the sweet potato for vanity purposes (did it for the ‘gram), but you should keep them on because they’re loaded with minerals. Unlike regular potatoes, SPs are low on the glycemic index, keeping our blood sugar nice and stable.
Tomato
- There are a lot of tomato sauce recipes out there that add sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes, but the sweet potato does the job here, and really lets its flavor shine. We want seeds and all, there are tons of phytonutrients in those that support the health of our heart <3
Coconut Milk
- Y U M. Coconut milk adds creaminess to our pasta sauce, and healthy fat as well—because we need 3 components to make a balanced meal: fat, fiber, and protein. One time in a cooking class where I explained all the benefits of the coconut (meat, milk, oil, water), I ended by asking what the students’ one big takeaway from the class was. A teenage girl said “Coconut is EVERYTHING.” Totally.
Pasta
- I opted for gluten-free pasta, and think you should too even if you don’t have any issues. Pastas made with lentils, chickpeas, mung beans, quinoa, and other grains or legumes are simply higher in fiber and protein and help round out the meal.
- For the sauce
- 1 sweet potato, chopped large
- 1 tomato, quartered
- ¾ cup coconut milk (canned)
- ½ tsp salt (+ more, to taste)
- Water, if needed
- For the rest
- 12 oz pasta
- 2-3 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
- 6 cups sliced mushrooms
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- ¼ cup goat cheese crumbles (optional)
- Make the sauce. Boil sweet potato chunks until soft, about 15 minutes. Add to a blender with tomato, coconut milk, and salt. If your blender is not vented, wait until potato has cooled before blending. Puree until smooth, adding water if needed to thin to desired consistency. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed
- Make pasta according to package instructions.
- While pasta is boiling, melt ghee or coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms, shake the pan to get them in a single layer, and let sit for a couple minutes. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and basil and stir, then stir in balsamic vinegar. Let cook for about 5 more minutes.
- Mix pasta with sauce and mushrooms and divide onto plates. Garnish with extra basil and goat cheese, if using.
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