I’ve had some serious writers block lately, but I felt the need to share this meal with you since it was super flavorful and easy. It’s perfect for weeknight cooking and a healthy alternative to some of the carb filled pasta we normally eat.
Black bean pasta is relatively new and trendy. This brand cooks up like a typical pasta would in boiling water for about 6 minutes. Be careful how you boil/simmer. It’s actually more of a simmer now that I think about it. The pasta boils and gets very frothy, easy to spill out of your pan (which happened to me twice while I was making this).
Ingredients

• 1 box of Explore Cuisine black bean spaghetti
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter, unsalted
• 1 package crimini mushrooms, rinsed and quartered
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 small container cherry / small tomatoes, rinsed and quartered
• 3-4 basil leaves, torn
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (I really like this brand – it’s found almost everywhere, too)
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a small non-stick skillet, melt the tbsp of butter over medium hi heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic powder and let them cook for about 5-6 minutes until they are soft and smell good.
2. In a large pot, boil your pasta water. Add pasta and cook for about 6 minutes.
3. Drain and add the pasta back to your hot pot and add the olive oil to prevent sticking + add flavor.
4. Add salt and pepper to pasta.
5. Stir the mushrooms in the pan and turn the heat off if they are done.
6. Serve the pasta in individual bowls and top with
   1. tomatoes
   2. basil
   3. cotija cheese
   4. mushrooms
   5. lime
   6. chives
7. Yield is 6

This dish is VERY filling. I served a “normal” pasta size serving to each of us, and none of us finished. Black bean pasta is more filling than just regular pasta, so start small. The mushrooms were great – they added a “meatiness” that the dish needed. And the cotija cheese MADE this dish flavorful.
If you don’t have time for anything else, pop open a can of salsa and dump is over the pasta, sprinkle the cotija cheese and BOOM you have dinner.
Kids approved. Loved it. When eating it tho, it’s a bit of a mind game. You’re literally eating flavors that taste like Mexican burrito bowl, but you see pasta and think YUM SPAGHETTI AND CARBS = COMFORT + FAT PANTS.
This was perfect for a case of the Mondays!
Enjoy your week!