Hello everyone, how are we these days? I hope you are all well. In this post, I would like to share a pasta dish I tasted in Taiwan. The chef shared that most people are not fond of the strong flavours of vinegar and chilli. So, she created this pasta dish using Sichuan peppercorns and grape vinegar. What amazed me about this dish was how the Asian Sichuan peppercorns and Western vinegar blended so harmoniously, making the pasta mild and well-balanced without either flavour overpowering the other. She added shimeji mushrooms to enhance the dish’s crunchiness. I’d like to share this delightful pasta dish with everyone. It’s called Zucchini & Shimeji Mushroom Pasta. I couldn’t find grape vinegar in Brisbane, so I used balsamic vinegar instead. It might be a bit overpowering, but the taste is still great. Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients:
- 80g spaghetti pasta (or any type of pasta you prefer)
- 1 medium zucchini, thick cut(around 1cm)
- 1 pack shimeji mushrooms, trimmed and separated
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Schezwan Pepper Oil Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp neutral oil (like vegetable, sunflower, or canola oil)
- 10g Schezwan pepper
Schezwan Pepper Oil instructions
- Infuse with Flavor:
- Add the Schezwan pepper and oil to a small saucepan or skillet.
- Cook over low heat for 2–3 minutes, allowing the oil to absorb the aromatic flavours. Be careful not to burn it.
- Cool and Strain:
- Remove the pan from heat and let the oil cool slightly.
- Strain the oil through a fine sieve to remove solids and set aside, ready to use.
Zucchini & Shimeji Mushroom Pasta Instructions
- Cook the Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
- Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Sauté the Vegetables:
- Over medium heat, add some Schezwan pepper oil and pan-fry the zucchini for 3-4 minutes on each side or until lightly coloured. Season with salt and black pepper on both sides. Set aside.
- In the same pan, add some oil, stir in the shimeji mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender or caramelisation. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant
- Deglaze with Balsamic:
- Return the zucchini to the pan and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Stir well to coat the vegetables and allow the mixture to reduce slightly for about 1 minute.
- Combine with Pasta:
- Add the drained pasta to the pan, tossing to coat in the vegetable mixture. Add reserved pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, to create a light sauce. Adjust seasoning.
- Serve:
- Plate the pasta and drizzle with a schezwan pepper oil.
- Ready for serve.
Note
- Store the schezwen pepper oil in a clean, airtight container for up to a week.
- Sauté the mushrooms until they release their moisture and it evaporates, which will allow them to caramelize.
👨🍳 👨🍳👨🍳 👨🍳If you would like to hire a chef to cook vegan dishes for your home gathering please take a look at Private chef service 👨🍳 👨🍳👨🍳 👨🍳
If you don’t know what to expect from the private chef service, head to the private chef vlog and Private Chef Experience
If you are looking for more vegan recipes, head to the recipe
