I think what turns people off the most about cooking is the cleanup. Honestly, it gets to me too. As someone who lives on their own and cooks for herself, its the cleanup that tires me. Because of this I try to develop recipes that are simple and don’t require multiple pots and pans. I came home tonight from a full day of traveling and just was not in the mood for outside food. I wanted something comforting, healthy, and easy to make. I had a few ingredients that I know would make for a yummy dinner. I’ve been testing out a few pasta alternatives – pastas made from legumes and not flour – that are super high in protein and vegan! I had some coconut milk and edamame pasta on hand so I made a one-pot play on a coconut curry with edamame pasta! Behold my less than 30 minutes One Pot Edamame Pasta with Coconut-Turmeric Sauce.

One Pot Edamame Pasta with Coconut-Turmeric Sauce:

• 6 oz Edamame Pasta – a little more than 1/2 of an 8oz box – I used Explore Cuisine Brand
•  1/2 medium white onion – thinly sliced
• 1/2 jalapeno or 1 serrano – minced
• 2 cloves garlic – thinly sliced
• 1 medium zucchini – thinly sliced half moons
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• salt
• crushed black pepper
• 1 tbsp unsalted almonds – skin on is fine
• pinch red crushed pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• non-stick spray

1. Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high flame. Spray with some cooking spray and pour in oil. Once hot, add in the onions, garlic and chopped chili. Saute for about 3-4 minutes and then add in the zucchini. Saute for a good 5-7 minutes until onions and getting caramelized and zucchini is getting golden in color. Season with salt, pepper, and turmeric and incorporate well. Reduce heat to medium, add in water and coconut milk and stir. Bring to a simmer and add in edamame pasta – breaking up to fit in the skillet if necessary. Stir to make sure all the noodles are covered and cook uncovered for 5 minutes and occasionally stirring. Cover and cook for about 2-3 minutes until its boiling. Uncover and taste to see if the noodles are cooked through – the texture is slightly different from regular flour-based pasta and should be slightly al dente. Stir and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Sauce will have reduced and thickened.

2. While the noodles are cooking either grind up or using a mortar and pestle, crush up the almond into a course grind. Sprinkle pasta with crushed almonds and serve in bowls. Sprinkle with a bit more almonds and a pinch of red crushed pepper. Boom!