We are officially one week into Vegetarianism 6.0.
Every year (for the past six years, at least), we have gone vegetarian/vegan for Lent. And each year I promise myself that I am going to step out of the box and be creative.
And it never happens.
Because life.
Work + blogging + working out + social life leaves little time for hardcore menu planning and recipe testing. But I vowed this year is going to be different.
And so far it is! Not sure what is happening, but I have so many ideas on what to try!
Starting with this Vegan Mushroom Marsala.
I took my absolute favorite Italian dish (Chicken Marsala) and made it vegan (buh bye, chicken!). And it was good. Like so good.
Because mushrooms don’t have a lot of protein, I paired my Mushroom Marsala with Banza Chickpea Pasta.
I have been fortunate to be welcomed into their RD Ambassador program (because who doesn’t want to rep products they love?) and they have supplied me with pasta to try out in my recipes! Since it packs 14 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per serving, it is a great way to get some good nutrition into my crew when we are forgoing animal products.
Oh, and did I mention it tastes really good.
The mushrooms take very little time, so this is easily a 30-minute dinner wonder.
In a large high-sided skillet set over medium heat, add in some olive oil. When the oil is hot, add in sliced cremini mushrooms.
It looks like an aggressive amount of mushrooms, but it will cook down a lot. Cook the mushrooms until they soft, release all their liquid, and brown. If it looks like there is too much liquid in the pan, DON’T FREAK OUT. It will all evaporate – promise.
YUM.
Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Then add in some more oil (or you can use butter if you want to include dairy).
And sprinkle everything with flour. Stir the mushrooms around so that there are no streaks of flour left. Because raw flour = yucky taste.
Now, this is super important.
TURN THE HEAT OFF OF THE STOVE.
And then pour in some dry Marsala wine. This is an Italian fortified wine that gives this traditional dish its flavor. The reason you need to turn the pan off is that wine has alcohol… which is extremely flammable. Turning off the heat reduces your risk that some splash over could light on fire (and then light you on fire). Safety first, guys!
Turn the heat back on and cook the marsala-mushroom mixture for 30 seconds. Then add in small portions of vegetable broth, stirring constantly, until a thick sauce forms.
Then you’re done!
Boil up some Banza pasta (I used the penne shape!) and you’re ready for dinner.
SO. GOOD.
It’s meaty and delicious, just like the original!
Happy Monday, everyone!
oxox,
Catherine
This post was sponsored by Banza Pasta as a part of their RD Ambassador Program. Recipe, thoughts, and comments are all my own!
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 20oz cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced thickly
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dry marsala wine
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 6oz chickpea pasta, cooked according to the package instructions
- In a large, high-sided skillet set over medium heat, add in one tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add in the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until they brown, release all their liquid, and the liquid evaporates.
- Season mushrooms with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add in the remaining three tablespoons of oil and stir. Add in the flour and stir to coat mushrooms and to cook the flour.
- TURN OFF THE HEAT and add in the marsala wine. Turn the heat back on and cook the wine down for about 30 seconds.
- While stirring constantly, add in small portions of vegetable broth until the sauce is thick and delicious! Taste the sauce and season as necessary.
- Serve the mushroom marsala spooned over the chickpea pasta and enjoy!
This is very delicious. I loved it!!! Good one Catherine!
This was a very good, easy, and fast dish!! Loved it!