When I went to university in 2017, I made sure I had all the essentials; stationery, crockery and, of course, my notebook with my five staple meals in. Throughout my first year, my diet consisted of these five meals on rotation alongside some easy ready meals; I rarely strayed from meals I already knew I loved.

But as I began to get bored of this familiar rotation every week, I figured it was time to add some new recipes to my collection. Moving forward I wanted to eat less dairy and made an effort to eat vegan where possible. The first intentionally vegan meal I learned to cook was a mushroom tagliatelle.

After seeking out the Free From section in my local Sainsbury’s, this meal became a constant during my second and third years of university. It was my go-to comfort food and I was always excited knowing that I’d be cooking it for dinner.

Now that I’m back home with my Tesco loving parents, I sadly haven’t made this meal for a while. However, I recently began growing my own rocket, so at least when the day comes that I venture to Sainsbury’s for my much loved dish, I will be ready.

Vegan Mushroom Tagliatelle – Serves Two

Ingredients

• 150g Mushrooms
• 75g Tagliatelle
• 170g Cream cheese (a garlic and herb flavoured cream cheese works best)
• Soya milk (or a plant based milk of your choice)
• Vegan cheese (I recommend Violife Grated Cheese)
• Rocket* (*optional as a garnish)
• Garlic* (*optional for a more garlic infused dish)

Method

1. Boil a pan of water before adding the tagliatelle.
2. Slice the mushrooms into thin pieces then fry in oil.
3. Melt the cream cheese on a medium heat in a pan. Use half a tub for one person.
4. Add a few splashes of soya milk, use more for a thinner sauce. Further, add a sprinkling of vegan cheese into the sauce, allowing it to melt, add more for a cheesier sauce. If desired, add some garlic for a stronger taste.
5. Once happy with the consistency of the sauce, stir in the mushrooms.
6. Drain the tagliatelle before serving onto a plate.
7. Pour the cream sauce onto the tagliatelle.
8. Add a sprinkling of rocket to your meal if desired. (Personally I add a lot of rocket and would recommend, but this may not to be to everyone’s tastes.)

My mushroom tagliatelle is the one meal that I would much prefer to eat at home rather than at a restaurant. I cannot wait to make this recipe again soon. I expect it will transport me back to my university life and living – although hopefully without the stresses of a university kitchen.

I hope that in the coming years I expand my vegan recipe collection but I think this one will always hold a special place in my heart as the first vegan dish I really loved.

Image courtesy of Aimee Dyson.