Pasta with Asparagus, Cannellini Beans, and Porcini Cream
And that's basically what I've done here. This sumptuous recipe makes use of seasonal asparagus as well as one of my year-round staples, dried porcini mushrooms. They're great for adding a deep woodsy flavor to sauces, soups, and stews, and I particularly like the contrast of the fresh, green asparagus with the earthy mushrooms. Adding the porcini soaking water to the dish amps up the mushroom flavor, but be sure to strain it first; I've had dishes come out with sandy grit when the porcini juice hasn't been filtered--not a pleasant mouth-feel!

Pasta with Asparagus, Cannellini Beans, and Porcini Cream
(printer-friendly version)
It's not exactly ridiculously easy, but this recipe comes together fairly quickly when you cook the pasta at the same time as you do the sauce and asparagus.
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 cup boiling water
12 ounces pasta of choice (I used campagnelle but could use gluten-free)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup light silken tofu (or firm silken)
1/2 cup plain soymilk
1 clove garlic
1 pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sherry
15 ounces cannellini beans (or great northern beans), drained and rinsed
Pour the boiling water over the mushrooms and soak until they are completely rehydrated, about 20 minutes. Strain them through a fine sieve or a coffee filter, catching and reserving the liquid; rinse them if gritty and chop. Set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. When it's done, drain it, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and put pasta into a serving bowl.
While the pasta's cooking, blend the silken tofu, soymilk, and garlic until smooth. Pour it into a saucepan, add a pinch of nutmeg and the reserved mushroom liquid and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice, sherry, and the drained beans. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until beans are warm.
And while that's cooking, steam the asparagus until tender but crisp, about 5 minutes.
Add the asparagus to the cooked pasta and toss in the sauce. If it seems dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water. Add more salt or pepper to taste and serve.
Serves 4. Per serving: 446 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat; (5% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 85g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 258mg Sodium; 8g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 8 Flex Points.
Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free
Labels: gluten-free, soy









17 Comments:
I've had mushrooms on the brain, thanks for this recipe!
I too, have mushrooms that need to find a way to my dinner table... and who doesn't love asparagus?
Sounds like a perfect pasta dish to me- I love the shape of the pasta you used. It's so pretty!
Susan- this dish sounds wonderful. Spring = asparagus for me, too. I recently found a new creamy tasting gluten-free pasta from Australia that would work (fabulous!) in this. The shape is roundish- like little mushrooms.
Sounds really good! I'm not a big fan of asparagus but I'm trying to teach myself to like it! Tossing it with some pasta sounds like a good start!
Hi again!
Just wanted to pass on this information ...
Boston Magazine recently published an article all about us this month - here is the link:
Oh Soy Tasty!
If you have a few minutes to spare, could do us a huge favor and read the article and comment at the bottom of the page? We're very excited about getting such great press, especially from a magazine of this caliber. If everyone drops by and leaves a quick comment, soon there will be no doubt in any publisher's mind: YES, readers absolutely do want to know about vegan happenings and developments. Please don't hesitate to repost the article on your blog and spread the world!
Thanks!
Emily @ Wheeler's Frozen Desserts
Speaking of that gritty sandy feeling, the first time I ate beets I didn't wash them enough- YUCK
Thanks what I think of every time I hear the word gritty now haha
Teddy
Oh Thank you! I love mushrooms! I can eat pasta and mushrooms 24/7. I have been looking to add more tofu to my diet and this is just perfect!
what a perfect spring recipe... i'm intrigued by the soy cream sauce idea.
Hey...pasta looks great :))
oh dang it! i wish i would have read this yesterday. my farmers market had dried porcini mushrooms & i didn't buy any. boo! but i have plenty of asparagus.
Susan:
I love this recipe! I made one similar to it, but I roasted the asparagus and the roasted flavor was so good along with the pasta and mushroom.
I have a 30' long about 5'wide asparagus bed, that is organic (not certified of course, but has had nothing put on it for over 30 years! It is the most wonderful thing I have ever seen. It is almost like you can watch the asparagus grow overnight. It is not ready yet, but I can't wait for it to get here!
Wow! All my favorite foods mixed together in one dish! Have been craving some pasta for a while now, can't wait to try this out--thanks!
My wife made this the other day when we had my parents up and they (we all) loved it. We used a separate recipe for the asparagus, though, and grilled it, because it's finally warm enough to use the grill.
Fantastic recipe, as are all of your recipes. Keep up the great work!
Looks great... but is it 12oz cooked pasta or 12oz dry?
12 ounces of dry pasta.
Thanks!
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