Description
A flavorful and saucy Vegan Kung Pao Pasta combining spicy, tangy, and umami notes with tender linguine, sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, and cashews, perfect for a quick and satisfying plant-based meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 1.5-2 tbsp sugar (adjust according to desired sweetness)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark mushroom soy sauce (optional for colour)
- 1 tbsp doubanjiang (or chili bean paste)
- 2 tsp Chinese black vinegar (or Chinkiang vinegar)
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or other rice wine like sake, optional)
Other Ingredients
- 1/2-1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns (crushed)
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp room temp. water
- 4.5 oz dry pasta of choice (linguine or spaghetti recommended)
- Salt to taste
- Olive oil
- Pasta water (as needed)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (for cooking)
- 1/2 small onion (diced)
- 2 scallions or green onions (sliced into 2″ (5 cm) pieces, white & green parts separated)
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms (king oyster mushrooms suggested plus more for topping, optional)
- 1/2 small red bell pepper (diced)
- 3 dried chiles (arbor chiles, optional)
- Roasted cashews or peanuts (for garnish)
- Green parts of the scallion or green onions (for garnish)
- Drizzle of sesame oil
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: Mix all sauce ingredients together in a bowl, adjusting sweetness and spice levels to your preference for a balanced, flavorful base.
- Make Cornstarch Slurry: In a separate small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of room temperature water until smooth; set aside alongside the sauce.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a pot of salted boiling water with a splash of oil to boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving some pasta water for later use.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat a pan over medium heat with neutral oil. Sauté diced onion, white parts of scallions, diced red bell pepper, and chopped mushrooms until softened. Add dried chiles if using to infuse heat and flavor.
- Simmer the Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce into the pan with vegetables and allow it to simmer over medium heat until it begins to boil.
- Add Pasta: Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir to combine thoroughly with the sauce and veggies.
- Thicken the Sauce: Stir the cornstarch slurry to re-mix and pour it over the pasta mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta nicely.
- Final Seasoning and Garnish: Let the pasta absorb the sauce for a few minutes. Stir in roasted cashews or peanuts and green parts of the scallions. Adjust salt or sugar to taste. For reheating, add pasta water to loosen the sauce as needed.
- Serve: Turn off the heat, top with extra pan-fried mushrooms if desired, drizzle with sesame oil, and serve immediately while hot for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of sugar and chili bean paste to suit your preferred level of sweetness and spiciness.
- Adding a variety of mushrooms and extra vegetables enhances the dish’s texture and nutritional profile.
- For a less spicy version, omit the dried chiles or reduce doubanjiang quantity.
- Using dark mushroom soy sauce gives the dish a richer color but is optional.
- Keep some pasta water on hand to adjust sauce consistency when reheating leftovers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 406 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 689 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 69 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
