Plant Pasta
Courgetti with Squash & Porcini mushroom Sauce
I think I should become an international ambassador for courgetti. I could travel the world promoting it as a healthful alternative to wheat spaghetti, touting dishes such as courgetti with sardines, courgetti with salmon, courgetti with bolognaise, and my new dish – an entirely vegan courgetti with vegetables and nuts.
So where does eating vegan – or should I use the new trendy phrase ‘plant-based’ – fit with the Natural Kitchen Adventures food philosophy?
Well first, I don’t even know why I have to explain myself. I hate the idea of definition in food choices. Why pigeon hole yourself? To become a full fledged member of a food tribe? Bah. I blame the hashtag for all this.
I’ve been putting off writing on my current thoughts on food choices for some time, because I was worried that if I mentioned tending away from a 100% paleo diet, that my loyal paleo inspired friends and followers would leave me. I also worried that plant-based eaters wouldn’t respect me because I do eat animal products most days, because I still feel that is right for me. It seems silly to spend so much time worrying about it. In the grand scheme of things, there is plenty to worry about in the world.
A thoughtful postcard sent to me by a friend
Throughout this last year – first during my natural chef training, and now in the big wide world as a chef in a vegetarian café, I think I’ve managed to settle in a really happy place bouncing between multiple food tribes: I’m equally happy tucking into a grass-fed steak as I am trying out one of London’s new raw food cafes. I’m equally happy devouring salmon and avocado for breakfast on Monday, then having gluten free porridge with blueberries on Tuesday, a green smoothie and a boiled egg on Wednesday, and so on.
When all I am eating is whole unprocessed gluten free foods, lots of vegetables, balancing protein and fats, with tonnes of flavor does it really matter? Funnily enough I feel I’ve ended up where I initially started when my health kick started back in my mid-20s – just wanting to be healthy. The healthy tribe is the only tribe I want to be a member of. Our mantra at Bauman College was ‘Eating for Health’ makes perfect sense to me.
On to the recipe…
I devised this recipe for a community cooking class at London’s Made in Hackney . The organisation has a plant-based ethos, and this, in respect for their principles, is my first vegan courgetti dish (which, incidentally my lovely paleo readers, is paleo!). Without animal or fish protein I was conscious that some protein and a rich flavor needed to be added to the courgetti. As delicious courgetti is with a simple pomodoro sauce, it’s just a plate of vegetables requiring some extra calories for a proper meal.
Inspired by the rich mushroom truffle flavor I sampled in Tuscany this summer I decided to use porcini mushrooms – they are fairly high in protein for a vegetable (even though we only use a little) and bring an intense, earthy umami flavor. I added walnuts for some more bulk to the sauce, and a good dose of seasonal, colourful beta-carotene rich butternut squash.
Courgetti with Squash & Porcini Mushroom Sauce
- 30g dried porcini mushrooms
- 400g cubed and peeled butternut squash (a medium-sized squash)
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 large courgettes, julienned (reserve the cores, and dice and add to the sauce)
- 40g walnuts, chopped
- A few sprigs of rosemary, minced
- Salt
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Ground black pepper/ fresh basil/ truffle oil to serve (optional)
- Soak the dried mushrooms in boiled water for at least 10 minutes (ideally 20). Drain, reserving the stock, and rinse. Chop the mushrooms and set them aside. Filter the stock again to remove any remaining sediment.
- Meanwhile steam the butternut squash for 5-7 minutes (fork tender, but still retaining quite a bite), drain and reserve.
- Warm a Tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onion until softened, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic with a pinch of salt and stir for another minute. Now add the steamed squash, diced courgette cores, porcini mushrooms, walnuts, and minced rosemary. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the squash is of desired tenderness. For more flavour, add a Tablespoon or so of reserved mushroom stock to help the veggies cook. Season with teaspoon of salt, to taste.
- Add the remaining courgetti to the pan. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the courgetti are done to the bite. Finish with the juice of half a lemon.
- Plate up and top with some ground black pepper, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Truffle oil would be an exquisite (but pricey) addition.
What’s your favourite sauce to have with courgetti? How do you feel about an occasional or exclusive plant-based diet? Do you eat paleo and if so are you still reading?? Do tell!
1
I love courghetti! We just had it for dinner tonight. I love the sound of this dish, I need to get more adventurous with my mushroom choices too, but always forget.
Thanks Sus! It was quite the adventure trying out the porcini, but such a wonderful taste it was worth the effort. So many mushrooms to be tried!
I flatter myself I have less in common with the omnivore who lives on processed foods or the ‘paleo dieter’ who swaps toast for bacon for 30 days, than I do with a plant-based eater who cooks from scratch, may be even grows a vegetable or two, and judges the health of their diet by their energy levels. I actually have A BUNCH of thoughts about all this and rather than leave them as epic, rambling comments on you and Ruth’s recent pieces, I should probably harness them into a whole post on my own blog.
Thank you for another lovely recipe – my mum grows squashes of all kinds, so at this time of year I’m always looking for new ways to use them.
For the record… my favourite sauce for courgetti is carbonara!
This post seems to have struck a chord with so many – which for me feels one huge relief. I so look forward to reading your thoughts in full on a blog post of your own! Happy to hear you enjoy the recipe too. Love to hear if you give it a go!
Best, Ceri
p.s Carbonara – good choice.
Your post resonates with me so much, Ceri. As you know I blog mainly plant-based, mostly vegan, but I do tell my readers that I am a dedicated omnivore. And so I am. I love eating plant-based and mainly vegan but I found out a long time ago that being completely vegan wasn’t energising enough for me so added fish and felt amazing with this small change. After 20 or so years I know what I need and don’t apologise about it. I promote plant-based but not a specific diet. I just encourage the use of more plant foods in everyday life, rather than merely as a snack or side dish. Most of us have times when we need to change our diets for whatever reason and it is important to listen to the loud and clear clues our bodies give us, and act on them in a healthful way. That could mean reducing/cutting out animal meat, cutting out wheat, adding more carbohydrates, dropping beans, adding more fat. I’m glad that you have found your food groove and share your gorgeous recipes with us. I love this and love that you have used walnuts for protein. Walnuts go well with pasta but as you demonstrate, oh so well with courgetti! I love my spiraliser and am quite the evangelist about it. I fast a couple of days a week and spiralled veg make it so much more enjoyable. Best wishes, Kellie
Thank you Kellie for such a considered reply. I totally respect and admire your thoughts on what to eat and how this is promoted in such a vibrant way on your blog through your recipes – its great to chime with a likeminded person!
I am still getting there with my groove – but then exploring everything is all part of the fun – right? I know for example I will never be a supporter of beans – not because they are not healthful – because I know they are not for me (body fairly noisy about that one thanks!).
Glad you like the recipe too, spiralled veg knows no limits!
I wish I had friends like yours… That really is a very classy postcard… 😉 Oh how I long to be one of those people who breezes through every snack and mealtime without a single interrogation from themselves or others. One day, eh? I was so wedded to animal protein. Definitely from the school of it’s not complete, without meat. But now I’ve gone quite the opposite. I definitely think all this has spun out of the unnecessarily high volume of meat I ate in the very early days of Paleo – proven by the fact the last gluten free sausage I ate was over 6 weeks ago… Lovely read. My courgetti is never this substantial. I think I need a new implement.
Oh I shall be sure to tell the sender of said postcard your comments :). Thank you for your thoughtful foodie thoughts. Its either a coincidence we’ve both had our thoughts on meat challenged recently – but then since we’ve both embarked on our nutritional education at roughly the same time, and speak fairly regularly on our current thoughts, then I’m not sure its even a coincidence at all. You’ve likely been influencing me more than you realise. Happy sausage eating 😉
Ceri,
Ironically last night I was thinking that the more Paleo I am, the less Paleo I want to be… and that doesn’t define my food choices, but the mentality that I don’t like. I think it’s not about something being allowed or not, but about me making the right choices for my body and how I want to live. In fact, I will share this thought with readers… I’m sure I’m not the only one out there, like you, thinking this.. 😉
Love the recipe and love that you are collaborating with local places in London! woo hoo!! and congratulations!!!
Debra xx
Thanks for your thoughts Debra (and for your well wishes too). I’ve always kinda hated the ‘is it paleo?’ debate – especially when you get down to the nitty gritty of some really healthy things that don’t quite fit (Kefir for example). Anyway…. Looking forward to reading your current thoughts when you have time, and hope you are finding plenty of time to nourish yourself with all your amazing food. Ceri x