Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom, & Arugula Pasta

Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom, and Arugula Pasta

Serves 1

• 1 serving of whole wheat spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 5 small to medium sized mushrooms, sliced (I used cremini)
• 1 large handful (about a cup) of fresh arugula
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• a dash each of garlic powder, onion powder, and ground thyme
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• olive oil cooking spray (or 1 tsp olive oil)

Set oven to broil on high. Spray bell pepper evenly with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Set in a roasting tin and place in the oven as close to the flame as possible. Check on it often. Once the pepper has been slightly blackened on one side (this should not take more than ten minutes), remove the roasting tin carefully and turn the pepper. Replace it in the oven and allow the other side to blacken. Once done, remove the tin from the oven and place the pepper carefully in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the pepper to sit for ten minutes so that the skin softens. Once the pepper is cool enough, remove the skin and slice the pepper into strips. Now pat yourself on the back. You just roasted a pepper! Place mushrooms and small amount of water in a frying pan and allow mushrooms to cook on medium heat until most of the water is absorbed. Add spices and nutritional yeast and sauté to evenly coat the mushrooms. Add more water as necessary to absorb the powder ingredients. Add roasted peppers, arugula, and pasta. Saute over medium heat until arugula is wilted and the pasta is hot. Most of the liquid should be absorbed. Add salt and pepper as desired. I went a little crazy with the black pepper but I really liked the spicy taste with the sweet red peppers. I would recommend being sparse with salt and liberal with pepper. Serve immediately with a dash of vegan Parmesan if desired.