A sweet and smoky tomato sauce with olives, dried mushrooms, courgette and a hint of spice, tossed through perfectly al dente spaghetti. A fantastic dish coming together in just 25 minutes, bringing the feel and flavours of the Meditteranean to your table. Watch the video below to see just how easy this recipe is!
Over the past few months, staying with my parents has meant more family mealtimes and less of living on leftovers from the weekend. This has led me to get a bit creative with weeknight meals, with something that keeps the menu interesting, but also something that comes together easily at the end of a workday and is super nourishing too. This meal has become a firm favourite, along with some other recipes like my Spiced Aubergine Daal, Porcini Bolognese, Ultimate 5 Bean Chili, Vegan Mac & Cheese and these Broccoli & Chickpea Fritters, as well as some new recipes that I'll be sharing here soon - including a wonderful mushroom & wakame seaweed pho.
This recipe makes use of lots of dried ingredients, including a range of seasonings, but it is also pretty adaptable - so use what seasonings you have on hand and feel free to make it your own! It also uses tinned whole plum tomatoes that you crush by hand - this step only takes a minute longer but makes the world of difference to the flavour of the dish. When you use chopped tomatoes, the seeds will have been broken up into the tomatoes, releasing a bitter flavour, so for that wonderful sweet tomato richness - good quality whole plum tomatoes are always my go-to!
Tomatoes are also full of nutrients - with plenty of vitamin C for growth and repair of our body's tissues, helping iron to be absorbed and also fantastic for the immune system functioning. Concentrated, cooked tomatoes like tomato puree and tinned tomatoes are also a good source of iron - needed for red blood cell formation, which ensures that oxygen is properly transported around the body, keeping us energised and healthy.
Have a look below at the recipe and check out my latest video, taking you through making this delicious dish! Please also like and subscribe to my YouTube channel below by hovering over the flower icon and clicking subscribe.
I love seeing all your recreations, so if you do make any of my recipes please snap a pic and tag me on social media or in your stories, using @euphoricvegan and #euphoricvegan or leave a comment below letting me know your thoughts!
Mediterranean Olive & Pepper Spaghetti | Serves: 4 | Time: 25 mins
You'll need
- Saucepan
- Sauté pan
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Small bowl
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Tongs
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried mixed mushrooms
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 stick celery
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chipotle chili flakes
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 courgette
- 1 red pepper
- 1 tin plum tomatoes
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives
- 250g spaghetti
Method
- Rehydrate the mushrooms by covering in boiling water and soaking for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel and dice the onion, peel and chop the carrot and dice the celery into small pieces. Add to a sauté pan on a medium heat with a splash of olive oil and cook for 5-10 minutes.
- Then reduce the heat add the tomato puree, paprikas and chili flakes and stir for a couple of minutes, then add the herbs, salt, sugar and black pepper.
- Bring a large pan generously salted water to the boil.
- Chop the courgette into chunks, dice the pepper and remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid and roughly chop, add to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. The mushroom liquid can be used as a mushroom stock, so allow to cool and store this in the fridge or freezer for later use in another recipe.
- Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for about 7-8 minutes, until just shy of al dente.
- Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and crush with your hands, pit and roughly chop the olives and add to the pan, stir through and allow to simmer whilst the spaghetti finishes cooking.
- Once cooked, using tongs transfer the spaghetti from the pan to the sauce, along with about 1/2 a cup of pasta water and a drizzle of olive oil, toss together until the sauce evenly coats the spaghetti, serve up, crack over some fresh black pepper and enjoy!
Cassidy xx
