How to Make Creamy Coconut Garlic Mushroom Pasta

I am a chef on a luxury world cruise liner. I love to cook and write recipes that are inspired by foods from all over the world.

Coconut milk is the liquid that is produced when grating a mature coconut. It has a very rich flavor that adds a delightful depth to many different sweet and savory dishes containing meat, fish, seafood, fruits, and/or vegetables. Coconut milk is popular in Asia, the Caribbean, and parts of the United States. Nowadays, you don't need to grate a coconut in order to get the milk; instead, you can buy canned or powdered coconut milk at the store.

I love cooking with garlic, mushroom, and pasta. In this recipe, I created a dish that incorporates these three ingredients and adds coconut milk to the mix.

I used a powdered form of coconut milk because it's the only thing I had in my pantry. In order to use this form, it's necessary to first dilute the powder in water. If you have canned coconut milk, however, you can also use that. I explain how to do so in the "tips and techniques" section below.

Now let's look at how to make this simple yet delicious dish.

Ingredients

• 500 grams spaghetti pasta, cooked
• 1 cup pasta water
• 1/2 to 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley, dried
• 1/4 teaspoon basil, dried
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano, dried
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Utensils

For Preparation:

• 3 medium bowls
• 1 medium plate
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons

For Cooking:

• pan
• tongs or cooking spoons

Cook Time

Instructions

1. Dilute coconut powder in pasta water and regular water.
2. Heat the pan. Pour in the mixture.
3. Add basil, garlic powder, oregano, and parsley. Make sure to dilute everything properly.
4. Add mushrooms and allow it to simmer.
5. Add cooked pasta to the sauce and mix.
6. Serve while hot.

The Finished Dish

Tips and Techniques

• Replace spaghetti pasta with any kind of pasta.
• Thicken the pasta sauce by using reserved pasta water.
• Omit the herbs if they do not suit your taste.
• Use fresh coconut milk rather than coconut powder if available.
• When using coconut milk, omit the pasta water and lessen the plain water to achieve the right consistency in the sauce.

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• How to Cook Cheesy and Creamy Carbonara
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© 2018 Travel Chef

Comments

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on November 06, 2018:

Hi Pamela,

You're always welcome. Feel free to ask me. I'll try to help as much as I could. Have a wonderful day!

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on November 06, 2018:

Thanks Dred!

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on November 06, 2018:

Hello Pamela,

Just remove the pasta water and the coconut powder and replace it with coconut milk. Then try to adjust the plain water to achieve the right consistency and taste.

Coconut milk has the tendency to thicken up once cooked so you need to add a little bit of water to it if needed. The flavor of this kind of milk varies per brand. That being said, you need to adjust the amount of coconut milk you need to add into your dish.

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on November 06, 2018:

Dred, I have canned coconut milk, but I don't understand exactly how to use it in this recipe. Is the coconut powder used to thicken the sauce? I have seen coconut flour in the store, but I don't remember seeing coconut powder. I am not sure what to do.

Travel Chef (author) from Manila on November 05, 2018:

Hi Pamela,

You can use coconut milk. Canned coconut milk is easily found in the market. The pasta with coconut milk is really delicious. Hope you will try it. Cheers!

Pamela Oglesby from Sunny Florida on November 05, 2018:

This recipe looks good. I like mushrooms, and this creamy dish looks easy to make. I have never used coconut powder, but I use coconut milk all the time. Thanks once more for the recipe.