This zucchini mushroom pasta is all you need when you crave a plate of luscious creamy pasta without all those extra calories. Find out how to make guilt-free mushroom sauce without cream, with a secret ingredient!
¼teaspoon eachdried thyme, oregano, and basilor ¾ teaspoon mixed Italian herbs
1teaspoonchilli flakes
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoon black pepper
1¼cupmilk
1mediumzucchinidiced
ahandful ofparsleyto garnish
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Instructions
Cook Pasta
Boil water with 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook pasta as per instructions. Drain using a colander.
250 grams pasta (8.8 oz)
Transfer the pasta back to the empty pot. Close with a lid and leave it aside for 5 minutes.
Open the lid, add a tablespoon of olive oil and toss the pasta.
Saute mushrooms
Take about half of the thinly sliced mushrooms.
200 grams brown button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms
Heat ½ teaspoon of olive oil in a pan. Saute the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper for about 5 to 10 minutes until browned. Keep aside.
Half-boil the eggs
Boil water (enough to completely cover the eggs).
Gently place the eggs in the pot using tongs and cover the pot with a lid. Turn off the flame immediately.
4 eggs
After 3 (for medium eggs) to 4 (large eggs) minutes, take out the eggs and place them in a bowl of ice water.
After 3 to 4 minutes, break the eggs and pour out the half-boiled eggs into a bowl. Beat the eggs with a dash of salt and pepper. Keep aside.
Make mushroom sauce without cream
Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan. Saute the finely chopped onion until it turns translucent. Add finely chopped garlic and stir.
1 onion, 6 cloves garlic
.Add the rest of the sliced mushrooms and saute until browned.
Add Italian herbs, red chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Stir for a couple of minutes.
¼ teaspoon each dried thyme, oregano, and basil, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Add milk and bring it to a boil. Stir in the diced zucchini.
1¼ cup milk, 1 medium zucchini
Simmer until the sauce thickens and the zucchini gets cooked. This would take about 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the cooked and drained pasta and toss. Turn off the heat.
Creamy pasta without cream
Add mushrooms (that you sauteed earlier) and stir.
Add the prepared eggs and toss well. Garnish with parsley.
a handful of parsley
Video
Notes
Cooking time: I've calculated the cooking time based on the assumption that while the pasta is boiling, you'll cook the rest of the ingredients.
Pasta: Use wholegrain pasta for an even guilt-free experience.
Eggs: The above method ensures that you cook the eggs just enough to remove the foul smell and bacteria, yet runny enough to make the pasta creamy.
Herbs: If you have fresh Italian herbs like thyme or basil, you can use them instead of the dried ones. Use double the quantity mentioned above for dried herbs.
Zucchini: Do not peel the zucchini. I prefer dicing them (into cubes) rather than slicing them thin. That way, the zucchini is crisp and does not get soggy.
Mushrooms: Brown button mushrooms have deeper flavor than the white ones.
Sauteed mushrooms: Adding sauteed mushrooms at the end of cooking helps you make the most of the mushroom flavor.
Storing leftovers: This pasta stays fresh in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. To reheat, bring it to room temperature and lightly warm it up.