A bright pasta dish

Mushrooms add substance; tomatoes add tartness. This bright pasta dish is an easy weeknight meal that comes together quickly once you have all your ingredients chopped and cut.

For maximum efficiency, put a pot of water on the stove to boil, and at the same time start heating oil in a skillet to compose your sauce. Time it right and the pasta will be cooked just as the sauce is ending its simmer.

Adding a dose of the pasta cooking water to the sauce is an old trick that allows you to adjust the taste and consistency of the sauce, as the pasta water brings with it salt, starch and liquid.

Portobello-Cherry Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound dried fettuccini (or other pasta)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)

• 4 large cloves garlic, minced

• 2 large portobello mushrooms (about 8 ounces total), cut in bite-sized chunks

• 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 cup fresh herbs (such as basil, parsley, oregano or a mix)

• 1/2 teaspoon dried chile peppers, or more, to taste (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

• 2 cups spinach leaves

Directions:

Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain, but reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, make sauce: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add garlic; sauté until fragrant. Add mushrooms; toss. Let sit until lightly brown on one side, then stir. Let sit again until brown on other side.

Add tomatoes; sprinkle with herbs and chile pepper, if using. Stir to combine, then reduce heat and let simmer 5-10 minutes, until tomatoes have broken down.

Slowly stir in reserved pasta cooking water until sauce is of desired consistency. Taste and add sugar if sauce is too tart. Stir in spinach and turn off heat. Once spinach is wilted, serve over pasta.

Serves 4.

Approximate nutrient analysis per serving (not including sugar to taste): 340 calories, 9 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium, 55 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 11 g protein. Nutritional analysis provided by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is an international nonprofit with a local office in Kaimuki. Its mission of community service includes the promotion of a healthy vegetarian lifestyle. To learn more, visit facebook.com/ hawaiitzuchi or call 808-737-8885.