Reading through Rick Bayless’ cookbook Mexican Everyday can be quite disappointing for herbivores. There’s page after page of vibrant, refreshing-sounding recipes, but as you scan down each ingredient list, your hopes are only dashed as each inevitably includes some type of meat. It’s not Bayless’ fault; Mexican dishes tend to emphasize meat as a central flavor. Thankfully, you can still enjoy Bayless’ brand of fresh, zesty Mexican food without the meat, simply by making some alterations and substitutions. In fact, you don’t even have to settle for the type of meatless dish that seems to be lacking something — it’s incredibly easy to make your own, just-as-satisfying meat substitute right at home.
Even chorizo, the much-loved, hard-to-imitate spicy sausage, can be invoked fairly accurately by a simple recipe that calls on a sweet potato base and lots of spices. Bayless’ recipe for Roasted Mushroom Salad with Spinach and Chorizo gets a meatless makeover with hearty veggie chorizo, rich browned butter, tangy balsamic and comforting, carb-y pasta, so veg-heads can also savor this spicy, fun dish without compromising flavor.
Balsamic-Browned Butter Pasta with Veggie Chorizo
Adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Total Time: 40-50 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Pasta
4 oz whole-grain spaghetti
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz craps casino online fresh spinach
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Dash of salt and pepper
Veggie chorizo recipe here
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, toss mushrooms and onions with olive oil and salt.
2. Arrange mushrooms and onions on a baking pan and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until mushrooms and onions are softened and slightly caramelized.
Photo by Maggie Gorman
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook for about 9 minutes, or according to package directions.
Photo by Maggie Gorman
4. While pasta cooks and mushrooms roast, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until butter starts to froth, stirring frequently. In about 3 minutes, or when froth subsides and brown specks begin to appear, turn off the heat.
5. Let butter cool for about 1 minute, then stir in balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
6. Heat oil in medium skillet. When oil is hot, add veggie chorizo links, cooking over medium-high heat until evenly browned and slightly crispy.
11. Drain cooked pasta in a colander, and toss with roasted mushrooms, onions and balsamic-butter mixture in the pot. Stir in spinach until wilted.
12. Serve pasta with veggie chorizo on top and Parmesan cheese if desired.
