Musroom Pesto Pasta with Kale Chips

Part of why I changed the name of this blog to Dish on the Run is because I just don’t have time at the minute to develop lots of new complicated recipes now that I am working full time. Most of our meals are things that can be thrown together in 30 minutes or less…sometimes far less!

However, some of my favorite recipes are non-recipes. I love ideas for meals which can be thrown together quickly and adapted for different tastes, occasions, and based on which ingredients are available.

Therefore, I thought I would share one of my current favorite non-recipes with you.

Mushroom Pesto Pasta with Kale Chips

Steps:

Start water boiling for pasta. Pre-heat the oven to approximately 160 degrees Celsius.

While water boils, prepare kale chips by putting about half a bag of pre-washed, pre-torn, preferably organic kale on a  baking sheet. (I cover the baking sheet with tin foil for easy clean-up).

Pour about a teaspoon of olive oil onto the pile of kale, and follow with a good sprinkle of sea salt and a generous handful of nutritional yeast. Use your hands to firmly massage the oil, salt, and nutritional yeast into the kale, then spread it out evenly across the baking sheet.

When the water is boiling, add whole wheat pasta.

At this point, put the kale chips in the oven, and keep a close eye on them. They cook very quickly (in about five to ten minutes) and as soon as they change color and become crispy, I turn the oven off and leave them to stay warm until the rest of the food is ready.

Wash and slice about five to ten chestnut mushrooms, and add to a frying pan with a fine coating of olive oil and cook on a medium heat for about five minutes.

Add several tablespoons of store-bought (or homemade) pesto – check that it is dairy free if needed, and stir through until the mushrooms are coated and there is extra pesto in the pan.

Don’t forget to check the kale chips and turn the oven off if they are mostly crispy.

When the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the mushrooms and pesto. Cook for about five more minutes, stirring frequently.

Put everything on a plate and enjoy!

Somehow, although the individual components of this dish are delicious, they are even better together.

Hope you like it as much as we do!