This month’s recipe redux theme was New Year, New Ingredient. My new ingredient is chickpea pasta! I use it to create this high protein mushroom swiss pasta bake.
Usually, I wouldn’t make a dish like this for dinner. It’s just pasta, veggies, and cheese. There’s no specific source of protein, which I need as a 90% vegetarian who likes to work out.
Chickpea pasta is high in protein (28 grams/serving!), as well as fiber, making it a great alternative to regular pasta. It’s also gluten free, if that is important in your diet.
The texture of chickpea pasta is not quite that of wheat pasta – it’s a little grainier. The pasta bake is my favorite way to use it, because you don’t notice the grainy texture at all in the silky mushroom sauce!
Variations to the High Protein Mushroom Swiss Pasta Bake recipe:
- Don’t want a high fiber meal? Try red lentil pasta, which is also higher in protein than wheat pasta, but lower in fiber.
- No cast iron skillet to transfer to the oven? Toss the pasta with the veggies, and put into a casserole dish for baking!
- What is miso? Miso is a fermented soy bean paste. It has a salty, nutty flavor that adds umami to this dish. Don’t have it? Substitute 2 tsp soy sauce or tamari.
High Protein Mushroom Swiss Pasta Bake
This high protein mushroom swiss pasta bake has 44 grams of protein/serving! Chickpea pasta and Gruyere supply the protein, while mushrooms and miso paste pack in the flavor!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 2 servings
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, diced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- Splash olive oil
- 8 oz chickpea pasta
- 2 TBS miso paste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Combine onion, mushroom, and a splash of olive oil in a 10 in cast iron skillet over medium heat. Toss to combine. Sauté until the mushrooms until they release their liquid.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente (about 5 minutes depending on brand), reserving a half cup of cooking liquid.
- When the mushrooms have started releasing their liquid, mix in 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid, miso, garlic, thyme, pepper, and 2 oz shredded cheese. Stir to combine.
- Mix cooked pasta into the mushroom mixture in the skillet and top with remaining cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Must try chickpea pasta! I love chickpeas!
You will love it Lin!