Stir Fry Pasta or Warm Pasta Salad - vegetables and mushrooms version

If you have some mushroom and vegetables leftovers, you can boil some pasta the next day, and toss them into a warm pasta salad sans the cheese or other garnishes. It should be fine when the vegetables (leftovers) are typically the non-leafy variety such as celery and carrots.

Or if you intentionally want to have leftovers so that next day is an easier day, try not to have this intentional action with green leafy vegetables overnight since they all lose its charm and appeal the next day. Leftover greens will only turn out mushy the next day. Yucks!

When you do not have leftovers...good for you! I cooked a similar mushroom and vegetable dish before. I did it again and this time, stir fry pasta in them. Call it a warm pasta salad, if it fits to be one. It is a one-dish meal, for sure.

Stir Fry Pasta with Mushrooms and Vegetables/Warm Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 stems of celery, washed and cut into small pieces
- 1 carrot, washed and cut into small pieces or into very thin shreds
- 1-2 sliced red chili, cleaned with seeds removed
- Fresh mushrooms (I use king trumpet, shitake, honshimeiji), cleaned and cut close to size/shape of the vegetables
- 1-2 garlic gloves, sliced thinly
- some ground pork ~ option (Note: If you are vegetarian, you can omit this)
- some white pepper
- pasta, cooked according to instructions (reserve some pasta water for later)

Seasoning:
-2 tsp soy sauce
-1 tbsp oyster sauce (Note: If vegetarian, opt for vegetarian alternative)
- water/stock, adjust accordingly

Directions:
1. In a lightly oiled pan, fry the garlic till fragrant, then add celery, carrots and red chili, followed by mushrooms and meat
2. Fry and mix well in the pan (~5-7mins) then add water and seasoning. Allow it to simmer till vegetables and mushrooms are tender and cooked
3. Dash in white pepper to enhance the aroma
4. When ready to serve, add in pasta, mix well and add in a little pasta water if too dry (Note: this dish does not have much gravy/sauce, similar to Chinese stir-fry noodles...moist but yet not too wet)


Tag: noodles, stir fry pasta, one dish