Mushrooms must be the most magical vegetable! Featured in fairy tales and children’s stories, they capture our imaginations like no other. In a variety of shapes, sizes and colors there’s a mushroom for everyone.
Nutrition
Mushrooms have a great nutritional profile. In one cup there are only 15 calories, but a variety of vitamins and minerals:
- Selenium: helps your body make antioxidants that help prevent cell damage and reduce your cancer risk by up to 45%
- Potassium: the potassium in mushrooms helps lower blood pressure
- Vitamin D: boosts immunity and helps reduce inflammation.
Mushrooms also contain a significant amount of protein. Their meaty texture and flavor make them an ideal meat substitute. Replace half of the ground meat in a recipe with chopped mushrooms for fewer calories to support wt management. Some varieties of mushrooms may even reduce cholesterol by lowering its production in the liver and blocking absorption.
Wild Mushrooms
There are thousands of mushrooms and fungus that grow in the great outdoors, but very few of them are safe to eat. To further complicate matters, there are also many poisonous “look-alikes” that could fool an unsuspecting amateur. Expertise and experience are required to properly identify wild mushroom varieties, so never eat wild mushrooms unless they have been identified by an expert. The safest way to consume mushrooms is to buy them at the grocery store. However, if the idea of picking fresh mushrooms interests you there are mushroom-growing kits available for aspiring gardeners. Consult with a mushroom expert at the county extension office if you have any questions about mushroom varieties and safe gardening.
In honor of National Pasta Day on October 17th, try this nutritious mushroom pasta recipe at home:
Written by Rebecca Byerly and Elizabeth Shephard
Garlic Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients:
8 ounces dry pasta (I used Toscani-shaped pasta)
Kosher salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 shallots minced
5 garlic cloves minced
8 ounces Baby Bella Mushrooms sliced
8 ounces white mushrooms sliced
8 ounces portabella mushrooms roughly chopped
black pepper
1 teaspoon rosemary
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
¼ cup merlot wine
½ cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan)
½ cup packed parsley
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Red pepper flakes to taste optional
Instructions:
Cook the pasta to al dente in boiling salted water according to box instructions. Keep 1 cup of the pasta cooking water then drain the pasta.
In a large skillet, heat the olive and butter over medium-high heat, add the shallots and garlic and cook, tossing regularly for 2 to 3 minutes (manage the heat so that the garlic does not burn).
Add all the mushrooms and toss them around in the pan for a couple of minutes, adding another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Season with a good pinch of kosher salt, black pepper and the rosemary. Cook the mushrooms for about 7 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they turn color and release their juices.
Add the tomato paste, wine and about ½ to 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Cook over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes (this becomes your mushroom pasta sauce).
Add the cooked pasta to the mushroom sauce. Toss to combine. If needed add a little bit more of the pasta cooking water.
Stir in Parmesan cheese and finish with a sprinkle of parsley, walnuts and red pepper flakes. Serve immediately.
Nutrition:
Calories: 448.7kcal
Carbohydrates: 49.1g
Protein: 13.2g
Saturated Fat: 2.8g
Trans Fat: 0.1g
Cholesterol: 0.4mg
Sodium: 120.8mg
Potassium: 1011.4mg
Fiber: 4.7g
Sugar: 7.9g
Vitamin A: 822.6IU
Vitamin C: 16mg
Calcium: 57.6mg
Iron: 2.6mg
“7 Impressive Reasons to Eat Mushrooms”. Health Essentials, Cleveland Clinic, 23 Dec 2022. health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-mushrooms. Accessed 1 May 2025.
“Mushrooms and Other Fascinating Fungi”. Gardening Solutions, UF/IFAS Extension. gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/weeds-and-invasive-plants/mushrooms-and-other-fungi/. Accessed 1 May 2025.
“7 Health Benefits of Mushrooms”. UCLA Health, 24 Jan 2022. uclahealth.org/news/article/7-health-benefits-of-mushrooms. Accessed 1 May 2025.
Liao, H., Hsu, C., Hameed, K., Cotter, V. “D.I.Y. FunGuide: Grow Your Own Oyster Mushrooms at Home”, 8 Feb 2022. edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS662. Accessed 1 May 2025.
Karadsheh, Suzy. “Garlic Mushroom Pasta Recipe”. The Mediterranean Dish, 17 Jan 2022. themediterraneandish.com/mushroom-pasta-recipe/. Accessed 1 May 2022.
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