A warming bowl of pasta is so satisfying on an autumnal day. In this dish I use a unique gluten free version of pasta made only with organic black bean flour; a product by ‘Explore Cuisine’ which I picked up on a trip to Infinity Foods in Brighton.
Anyone looking for a gluten free and plant-based alternative to a delicious pasta dish, look no further. The flavours in this recipe offer a pungent merging of garlic, ginger and lime. Salty bursts of samphire sail through the other milder flavours. The textures are a perfect blend of crunchy vegetables alongside these delicate threads of black bean spaghetti. There’s so much potential for further creations with this incredible plant-based protein rich product. Great to try something new.
Ingredients to serve 4:
· 200g organic black bean spaghetti
· 150 g cherry tomatoes (pre-roasted in olive oil)
· 100g cubed tofu (I use a brand called Taifun)
· 60 g red or green cabbage, finely chopped
· 4 baby sweet peppers, finely cubed
· 4 small radishes
· 2 spring onions
· 100 g samphire
· Fresh thyme to garnish
· Olive oil for frying
Ingredients for the sauce:
· 2 tbsp soya sauce
· 2 tbsp olive oil
· 1.5 tbsp water
· 5 g sugar
· 2 cloves garlic crushed
· 5 g ginger finely grated
· Squeeze of lime
How to:
Pasta – bring 2 L of water to the boil, add pasta, simmer for 4 minutes/until tender, drain. (avoid overcooking, al dente is best)
Sauce – bring water and soya sauce to boil, add sugar, garlic and ginger, then simmer for 5 minutes (keep an eye on this). Add olive oil and lime, stir well.
Vegetables – add all vegetables and tofu cubes to a frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil and fry on a very low heat for 4 -5 minutes, add pasta and samphire then stir through the sauce. Garnish with thyme.
