How appetizing are these whole wheat penne with shiitake mushrooms? A very simple first course with the health mushroom.
Do you use shiitake mushrooms in your cooking? Are you familiar with them? They are not always available fresh, which I find the most delicate, but fortunately more and more specialized shops or supermarkets focused on wellness are selling them.
I have often talked about shiitake mushrooms on the blog, I discovered them through macrobiotic cuisine and never left them. Below are some delightful recipes with this hazelnut-colored mushroom.
Lentinula edodes, shiitake is the second most consumed edible mushroom in the world, which in Japan, where it is extensively cultivated, is known as shiitake (oak mushroom). Shii (tree of shii or castanopsis cuspidata) and Take (mushroom). The shiitake mushroom indeed grows and is cultivated on the trunks of various trees, chestnut, beech, oak, and shii.
It has been demonstrated through university studies that shiitake contain all essential amino acids, some in free form, others as proteins.
A superfood, shiitake is a source of protective substances, rich in enzymes and vitamins with medicinal properties. Studies have isolated the amino acid eritadenine, which is capable of lowering cholesterol levels.
They are rich in minerals like potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, aluminum, calcium, sulfur, and iron, and contain large amounts of B vitamins.
The shiitake mushroom has a unique, slightly spicy flavor that makes it unique. You can find it dried in organic product stores or in capsule form in pharmacies and herbalist shops. They are also available fresh as I mentioned earlier, from Italian sources. Indeed, shiitake are cultivated in areas like Pavia and the Emilian Apennines.
Usually, the stems are a bit woody and should be removed, the caps can be rehydrated in water for about twenty minutes and then used in our recipes. Remember not to throw away the soaking water, but use it in our soups!
And here are some recipes with these delicious mushrooms!!!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Macrobiotic
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients Whole Wheat Penne with Shiitake Mushrooms
- 10 oz whole wheat penne (organic)
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 5 shiitake mushrooms (fresh)
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 pinch white pepper
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Steps Whole Wheat Penne with Shiitake Mushrooms
Bring plenty of water to a boil with a pinch of salt and when it boils, add the whole wheat penne to cook.
Meanwhile, prepare the mushrooms in a pan.
Quickly rinse the shiitake mushrooms under cold water, after cleaning and removing any roots or woody stems. Dry and slice.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan, add two whole garlic cloves and let the oil absorb the flavor.
Remove the garlic, add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring gently.
After five minutes, add salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley and continue cooking for another 5/10 minutes, depending on the freshness of the mushrooms.
When the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat, drain, and mix it in the pan with the mushrooms, serve immediately.
Tips and Variations
Of course, if you can’t find fresh shiitake, you can make the pasta with dried and rehydrated mushrooms, and maybe try a good risotto as well.
You can vary the type of pasta but I would stay with an organic whole wheat pasta, perhaps also spelt or buckwheat or even legumes.
