Broccolini and mushrooms are perfect counterparts. The former is bright, crunchy and fresh; the latter is earthy, spongy and rich. They’re great additions to any Asian dish and, in this case, act as the stars of the show.

By roasting the mushrooms in the oven rather than sautéing them, you end up with a batch of caramelized goodness. Roasting also helps the mushrooms maintain a good texture and keeps them from becoming overly chewy or slimey. If you’ve had bad experiences with cooking mushrooms at home, I guarantee you’ll see an improvement with this method.

You might be used to Asian noodles that are swimming in sauce, are overly sweet or salty or leave you feeling like total crap the next day. That’s the beauty with this dish; the sauce is flavorful and elegant without being overpowering. The veggies still maintain their flavors, and in no way could anything on your plate be described as a “gloopy mess.”

Pro tip: if you want a little something extra with your meal, I recommend these Baked Spring Rolls!

INGREDIENTS

3 - 8 oz. containers of button mushrooms
Soba noodles (for two people, use half the package)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
3-4 bunches broccolini (ends cut off and, if they’re super long, cut the stalks into pieces)
2 large handfuls fresh spinach, torn into pieces
2 T. sesame oil
3 T. olive oil
1 T. rice wine vinegar
3 T. agave nectar
1/4 c. + 2 T. low-sodium soy sauce
2 t. fresh ginger, peeled & grated
2 t. sriracha
Juice of one lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
Sesame seeds, chopped greens onions and hot peppers to garnish (I would suggest fresnos, but we used serranos because our grocery store was out)

STEPS

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Wipe down the mushrooms with a damp paper towel, pop off the stems and slice them in half. Try to squeeze as much excess water out of them as possible.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together 1 T. sesame oil, 1 T. rice wine vinegar, 1 T. agave nectar, 2 T. soy sauce and 1 t. grated ginger. Add the mushrooms to the bowl and toss to combine until the mushrooms have soaked up all of the sauce. Pour the mushrooms onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Remove and toss the mushrooms, then cook for an additional 15 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, cook the soba noodles according to package directions and set aside.

4) In a large skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and shallot and cook for one minute. Add the broccolini and season with salt & pepper. Once the broccolini is tender, add the handfuls of spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted down.

5) While the veggies & noodles are cooking, create the soba noodle sauce by whisking together 1/4 c. soy sauce, 2 T. olive oil, lemon juice, 1 T. sesame oil, 1 T. agave nectar, 2 t. sriracha and 1 t. grated ginger.

6) When the vegetables are done cooking, remove from heat and pour in the noodles, soba noodle sauce and mushrooms. Stir well to combine. Serve and top with sesame seeds, green onions and hot peppers, if desired.