Quinoa Spaghetti with Portobello Mushrooms, Parsley, Walnuts, and Shallots

 

Do you ever fall in love with a certain ingredient and want to use it on everything? I’m currently in a seriously committed relationship with fresh parsley. Lucky for me, parsley is an herb filled with antioxidants and cleansing properties, and not only that, but it makes dishes taste fresh and flavorful (and it’s super cheap!).

I have been adding parsley to my salads, pasta dishes, eggs—the list could go on! One of my favorite things about parsley is its cleansing effects. I am not one for a juice cleanse for a variety of reasons (more on that here), but parsley is something you can incorporate into your diet to help flush out germs and bacteria from your kidneys. The herb also acts as a natural diuretic, which is why it used in so many green smoothies and juice cleanses.

As you can see, I used a generous amount of parsley in the recipe below, and it really does add a great deal of flavor. Parsley has a subtle kick and its flavors are versatile, so it’s easy to mix it up with different sorts of grains and vegetables. This pasta contains healthy monounsaturated fats from olive oil and walnuts, flavonoids from shallots and the parsley, and vitamin D from the Portobello mushroom. By using quinoa and brown rice pasta instead of white pasta, you get a good source of fiber along with protein. You can also use zucchini noodles for this recipe, but I would recommend adding another protein source if you choose to go this route!

Ingredients (serves 1-2)

  • ½ cup quinoa and brown rice spaghetti
  • 1 Portobello mushroom
  • ½ small shallot
  • A generous handful of fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons walnut pieces
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package.

2. Chop up your mushroom, shallot, walnut, and parsley into fine pieces (but keep them separate).

3. Heat up about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Sauté mushrooms and shallots until soft on medium heat.

4. When pasta is ready, toss pasta in the pan on low heat with mushrooms and shallots, and add in parsley and walnuts. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.