Chef Cristiano Bonolo's recipe: vegan-vegetarian paccheri with Shiitake mushrooms

Christian Bonolo, Vegan chef, co-founder of Vegolosi.it, magazine of culture and vegetarian and vegan cuisine, lecturer at the “G.MagnaghI” high school in Salsomaggiore (PR), at the Eccelsa Institute of Alberobello (BA) and professor of the VeganOK Academy today he is an undisputed authority on the new cooking philosophy that has been establishing itself for some years now, especially after the dramatic effects of the Pandemic that have led Italians to review their eating behavior on health, nutraceutical and environmental principles.

In his book “My kind kitchen. Recipes to nourish body and mind” starts from the teachings of the Buddhist religion to affirm the importance of attention to the world around us, respect for every living being, principles poured into a cuisine that for the Chef must be understood as an act of love towards everyone. Consequently, every action must bring with it a particular care, every gesture must be "experienced" and every food must be discovered, only in this way will every dish have complete harmony, from the preparation times to the tasting, perhaps shared with friends and relatives.

"Taking care of yourself and promoting an ethical way of living by changing the lens through which you look at the world", this, says the Chef, is my philosophy and underlines that the well-being of the spirit, mind and body passes through a shrewd use of what is brought to the table, without giving up the pleasures of food.

Thesis supported already about ten years ago in book “Vegosi. Learn to cook mouth-watering vegan and vegetarian dishes”, published by the publisher Gribaudo-Feltrinelli. Success was immediate and “Dolci Vegolosi. Little manual of vegan pastry” and “Becoming vegetarian or vegan. A complete guide to veg culture and cuisine to begin to understand more and better”.

The stereotype that a vegetarian or a vegan must necessarily be problematic people is therefore broken down. And the goodness of her healthy recipes also transfers her to some popular TV broadcasts, including "So Glam So You" and "Geo&Geo" on Raitre, while from 2013 she becomes the face of the video formats of Vegolosi.it, with video recipes and pills of insight into the ingredients of veg cooking. Since 2018 she has been the face of Alice TV for a new format in the company of Franca Rizzi, in which she develops the themes and recipes based on fruit and vegetables.

For the readers of Mondo Food Cristiano Bonolo proposes a dish based on Shiitake mushrooms, a mushroom with a thousand-year history that is widespread throughout Asia for tasty gastronomic preparationsIn fact, their fleshy consistency and their pleasant marked taste embellish various types of dishes and not just oriental cuisine. Certainly this mushroom was already used during the Ming dynasty as the "elixir" of long life, capable of healing and bringing well-being and longevity.

And in fact, shiitake has been the subject of study for several decades for its remarkable beneficial properties. Low in calories but rich in vitamins B and D, carbohydrates, fiber and mineral salts such as potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sulfur and calcium Shiitake mushrooms enter vegetarian or vegan diets thanks to their high protein and amino acid content.

The following recipe is a ideal bridge between the Orient of Shiitake mushrooms and the Mediterranean flavor of the other ingredients, all highly healthy, tasty and fragrant that marry excellently in a dish that is proposed as an example of a cuisine of taste but healthy and beneficial for the body.

The quantity of the paccheri - says the Chef - is obviously indicative for the purposes of simply the final plating ... you can obviously abound if you want a more generous dish for you and your guests

The Recipe: Paccheri with Shiitake mushrooms

Ingredients for 4 people:

12 wholemeal paccheri (about 3 paccheri each)

100 g of shiitake

200 g of pumpkin

1 clove of garlic

fresh basil to taste

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

croutons

For the sauce:

66 cl of tomato puree

1 can of chopped pulp

1 / 2 onion

1/2 tablespoon of ginger juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

– Soak the mushrooms and grate the pumpkin

– Prepare a sauce for the sauce with chopped onion and oil.

– Add the pulp, the puree, the salt, the ginger and the Worcester sauce taking care to taste to understand the taste

– Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. For a homogeneous and smooth cream, you can blend the sauce with an immersion blender

– Pour a drizzle of oil into a non-stick pan and brown the garlic clove.

– As soon as the latter has taken on a little colour, remove it and sauté the pumpkin and chopped mushrooms. Correct with salt

– Cook the paccheri for about 10/12 minutes (they must remain al dente)

– Drain the paccheri, dress them with extra virgin olive oil and fill them with the vegetables and mushrooms

– Serve the tomato sauce on the plate, place the stuffed paccheri on top and decorate with a basil leaf and chopped croutons.