Spicy Pasta with Garlic, Broccoli, Kale & Mushrooms (Vegan, nut free, gluten free option)

I have no fun story to go along with this dish. Sometimes you just want spicy food. Sometimes you just want pasta. Sometimes its a Monday night and you want both at the same exact time in the exact same bowl. Tonight was one of those nights.  

I have made this recipe before and it has become an old standby as something quick, tasty, and relatively effortless. It is an adaptation of another food blogger, Seonhwa  , recipe that I adjusted to fit my family's taste and "food ethics," as my husband likes to call them.

Ingredients

-8 oz spaghetti noodles (I used brown rice pasta to make it gluten free but whole wheat pasta would also work) 

-2 tsp coconut oil

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-2 cups of kale, washed and roughly chopped

-6 mushrooms (I used a mix we got from the farmer's market), washed and sliced

 -2 cups broccoli florets, washed and chopped

-1 tsp crushed red peppers (more or less to taste) 

-4 tsp maple syrup

-1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

-2 Tbs soy sauce )if making gluten free, make sure your soy sauce is also gluten free) 

-sesame seeds (optional)

Time to get cooking! 

1. Cook the pasta by directions indicated on the box. 

2. In a large sauté pan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat until the oil is hot. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.   

3. Add kale and broccoli; cook for 5 minutes.  

4. Add mushrooms and cook and additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently. 

5. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup and red pepper. 

6. Add cooked pasta to sauté pan and pour sauce over. With low heat on, toss ingredients until everything is well combined for a minute or two.   

7. Serve and garnish with sesame seeds if desired.