I love to make quick pasta packed with veggies and coated with lightened up creamy cheese sauce. I often use spinach and mushroom combination for veggies, and this time I wanted to try a different green vegetable that tends to undeservingly get little attention from me: green bell peppers. I’ve also decided to use large portobello mushrooms which, as you know, are often used as “meat” in veggie burgers. I hoped for portobello mushrooms to add richness and “meatiness” to the meal without actual meat, and I was not wrong: this recipe turned out everything I wanted it to be. Please meet my new favorite pasta dish (with not so original ingredients): pasta with portobello mushrooms and green bell peppers!
As you see on the photos, I’ve used small pasta shells here, called Orecchiette Rigate. Interestingly, “Orecchio” means “ear” and “Etto” means “small” in Italian, so translated this pasta is actually called “small ears”, as the shape of these pasta shells can remind you of the shape of small ears. Not to freak you out. Any small pasta shells will work here, but I just love orecchiette! This type of pasta is often used with vegetable sauces, and it worked perfectly here, with creamy cheese sauce coating every single little shell (ear)! Continue reading
