Pasta azzurra

I love pasta in every form, and recently read a book in which the story took place in bella Italia.

So it was obvious I need to make some pasta...

As a child we heard it many times "don't play with your food"

Now I say to everyone, let's make it as interesting as we can, not just a meal but a whole experience. You don't need to be a chef, or overcomplicate cooking, just keep it simple if you want and add what you can instead of restrictions.

Eating the rainbow means:

• you are eating a good variety of nutrients supporting your microbiom and your overall health with it.

• you will enjoy preparing and eating your meals more, because it is good to see a colourful plate instead of a blend, tastless pile of food

• you will focus more on mindful eating, observing, smelling, tasting every bite, which can prevent overeating, and aids your digestion

So with that said, today the star of the show is the butterfly pea powder. It is a superfood, has many health benefits besides it's beautiful colour.

• It is a natural mood enhancer, reduces stress, anxiety and depression symptoms

• helps brain functions and memory

• can reduce migrain pains

• promotes quality sleep

• boosts immunity and beauty with the antioxidant content

How to use it: you can add it to any food or drink, can make blue latte in the evening mixed with some plant based milk (leave out the coffee of course), to help you relax and fall asleep, or a natural colouring as in this recipe. If you mix it with citrus fruits, for example put a lemon slice in the drink you made with it, than it turns from beautiful blue into magical pink.

My sourse for it: Yes Superfood

Ingredients for the pasta

100 g flour

1 tsp butterfly pea powder

water

pinch of salt

Add you flour to a bowl and mix it with the powder and the salt. Start adding the water until you get a dough consistency. When it forms into a ball put it on a well floured surface and kneed it with your hands for a minute to make the texture even. Roll it out and cut into strips.

Boil some water and put in the pasta for 2 minutes, no more, you don't want to overcook it and make it soggy. Drain it immediately.

Other ingredients in this meal:

oyster mushrooms

garlic

ruccola

tbsp soy sauce

chilli (if you like it spicy)

ground cumin

turmeric

In a pan heat up some olive oil, and add your mushrooms. Push them down with a spatula to grill the whole surface and make them a little bit crispy. When they are golden brown on both sides mix your soy sauce with the spices and pur it into the pan. Make sure it covers all the mushroom pieces and give them a nice flavour.

In a clean pan heat up some olive oil, add the sliced garlic and after 30 seconds put in the pasta. Toss it around so the garlic flavoured oil can coat all pieces. When ready, turn off the heat, mix in the mushrooms and plate it. Garnish with fresh ruccola.

If you want to make the onion flower too, than cut off the top and bottom of the onion, cut it into 8-10 pieces from the top (in a star shape), but leave the bottom intact, and place in the oven until it starts to get a golden colour and falls apart.

Extra tip for the gluten free or low carb people: Prepare your pasta of choice and when you add it to the garlic infused oil add the butterfly pea powder with it and a little bit of the pasta water. It might not give you that even colour, but a marble blue pasta is beautiful too.

Hope you will prepare this recipe at home, and if you do so please share it with me, I love to see your creations.

You can also find me here:

Instagram: @itsmedorawhite

Pinterest: Dora Feher

For nutrition and health coaching: freeyourwoman.com