Creamy Harissa Butter Bean Pasta with Crispy Za’atar Mushrooms
Big flavour, minimal effort - this 20-minute banger is my go-to when I want something bold, cosy and seriously satisfying without spending ages in the kitchen.
Hey legends,
Welcome to the first of many newsletters – buzzing to be back writing these again! It’s been a minute, I know, but life’s been a lot lately, but in a good way. If you’ve been following along on socials, you’ll have seen some big moments – from moving house, to smashing a PB at the Paris Marathon, and something else I’ve been quietly grafting on behind the scenes… probably the biggest thing to happen to NoMeatDisco yet.
Writing is something I really love, and this space is going to be much more personal – like a proper behind-the-scenes for you lovely lot who’ve subscribed. You’ll be the first to hear about any big moves, events, or exciting news happening in the world of NoMeatDisco. That thing I mentioned? You’ll know about it very soon… I just can’t spill the beans quite yet.
But for now, just a massive THANK YOU for being here. I can’t wait to start sharing more recipes, tips, and life bits with you. This weeks newsletter contains a fresh new recipe, which hasn’t hit my socials yet. So you guys are the first to see it. I’ve also added my album of the week to this newsletter. So let’s kick it off with this week’s recipe...
Disco kitchen this week:
20 minute oyster mushie pasta
As some of you might’ve seen on my socials, I’ve barely touched alcohol this year—and honestly, I’ve been feeling so good for it. The mental clarity has been next level. The main reason was to feel my best for the Paris Marathon, but also to stay sharp with all the big life stuff going on in the background.
That said, it was a bank holiday weekend and I had a little housewarming with some mates… so I thought, why not have a few drinks? And you know what, I had a great time. I think my relationship with booze has shifted a bit—I’m trying to actually enjoy it when I have it, rather than going full send like I used to. This time I had a few, felt good, and didn’t even wake up feeling too dusty. Win.
Still, I was just dusty enough a few days later that I wanted something healthy-ish and easy to make. Which brings me to the recipe you’re about to see below.
Mushies
You guys know how much I love mushrooms - especially oyster mushrooms. I’ve usually got a couple of grow kits on the go at any given time. Now that I’m finally in my own place (yep, still can’t believe I actually own a house), I’m thinking of setting up a proper little mushroom growing system so I’ve got a steady supply of mushies on tap.
But if you haven’t got a grow kit, don’t stress—most of the mushrooms I use in recipes are super easy to find. You’ll be able to grab them from the supermarket, a local farm shop, or even a nearby grower if you’ve got one.
I always like to tear oyster mushrooms into strips - you’ve probably seen me do it a million times by now. This time, I kept the marinade simple: olive oil, salt, pepper, za’atar, and a hit of sumac. Dead easy, but the flavour slapped. When Molly tried one straight out the skillet, she literally shouted “They taste like pork.” Safe to say, I’ve tested enough mushroom cooking methods over the years to feel like I’ve cracked it. For this, I just tossed them in the marinade, spread them in a skillet, and roasted them for about 20 minutes until they crisped up real nice.
The Sauce
I was craving something high in protein but didn’t fancy cooking anything too full on—so I figured, why not pack the protein into the sauce itself? I had a jar of butter beans in the cupboard and used them as the base. They’re perfect for this kind of thing—when blended, they go super creamy and thick, kind of like a smooth hummus or yoghurt-style base. I usually use them like that to sit underneath roasted veggies, but this time I turned it into a pasta sauce.
I chucked in some smoky harissa paste (the Belazu one—unreal), a tin of chopped tomatoes, and sweated down an onion with a few cloves of garlic to build it out. You could keep it chunky if you want, but I reckon when you’ve already got textured toppings—like the mushrooms in this dish—a silky sauce just works better. Once the onion and garlic were cooked, I added in a tablespoon of the harissa paste and the butter beans with some liquid from the jar, cooked that for a few minutes and then chucked it in a food processor to blitz until smooth.
The Pasta
I’m a big believer in buying good quality pasta—it honestly makes such a difference. You can usually tell if it’s the good stuff just by looking at it. If it’s got that lighter, chalkier colour, that’s a solid sign. If it’s more of a shiny, dark yellow, chances are it’s not been made all that well. You’ll definitely notice the difference in both texture and flavour—proper pasta just gives you that perfect al dente bite.
Also, if you saw the convo on the chat in here the other day, I mentioned I’m planning a homemade bread and pasta series soon… so keep your eyes peeled. It’s actually way easier than you think.
Once your pasta’s cooked, always save some of that pasta water—trust me, it’s liquid gold. For this one, I used about a cup. Since blended butter beans can be pretty thick, a splash of that starchy water helps loosen the sauce up just right. It brings everything together and gives you that dreamy, glossy finish.
Herby dressing
I’m big on finishing dishes with fresh herbs—for that pop of colour and a final layer of flavour. For this one, I mixed some extra virgin olive oil with chopped parsley, a sprinkle of za’atar, and a pinch of sumac. Super simple, but it adds a fresh, punchy kick to round everything off.
The Recipe
Harissa Butter Bean Pasta with Crispy Za'atar Mushies
This will feed 2-3 people and be ready in around 20 minutes.
Ingredients
For the mushies:
1 punnet of Oyster Mushrooms
1 tbsp Za’atar
1 tbsp Sumac
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
For the pasta sauce:
1 red onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp smokey harissa paste
250g butter beans with 2 tbsp liquid from jar
400g can of chopped tomatoes
1 handful of pasta
Oil for cooking
For the herby dressing:
1 handful fresh parsley
1 tsp za’atar
1 tsp sumac
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method:
Start by tearing your oyster mushrooms into strips. Toss them in a bowl with za’atar, sumac, olive oil, salt and pepper until nicely coated. Spread them out in a skillet or ovenproof dish and roast at 210ºC for 18–20 minutes—they should be crisped and slightly charred on the edges but still juicy inside.
While that’s roasting, get a pan on medium heat with some oil. Soften the onions for 2–3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir through the harissa paste and cook for a further minute to wake up the spices.
Add the butter beans (liquid included) and chopped tomatoes to the pan, then drop the heat to a simmer. Meanwhile, boil your pasta in salted water until al dente—around 10 minutes—and reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.
Blitz the butter bean and tomato mixture in a food processor until smooth, then return to the pan. Keep it on low heat and stir in that reserved pasta water bit by bit until you’ve got a silky, saucey consistency. Fold through the cooked pasta and turn off the heat.
To finish, mix up your herby topping - just chopped parsley, olive oil, za’atar, and sumac.
Now it’s time to plate. Ladle that creamy pasta into bowls, pile on those crispy mushrooms, drizzle over the herby oil, and add an extra hit of olive oil or seasoning if you fancy. Dig in.
Disco of the week
Album: Guru - Jazzmatazz Volume 1
Jazzmatazz Vol. 1 is such an iconic record and a real moment in music history.
Released in 1993, Guru’s Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1 was one of the first albums to genuinely fuse live jazz instrumentation with hip hop beats and lyrical flow -long before sampling jazz in rap was commonplace. Guru, already well-known as one half of Gang Starr, really pushed boundaries here by collaborating with a lineup of absolute legends from both worlds. We’re talking Donald Byrd, Roy Ayers, Lonnie Liston Smith, Branford Marsalis, and even vocalists like N’Dea Davenport and Carleen Anderson. It wasn’t just about borrowing from jazz - it was about bringing jazz into the studio with him.
What makes it so special is how effortless it all feels. The beats are smooth and head-noddy, the live instrumentation gives the whole album a warmth and soul that still holds up today, and Guru’s flow is mellow but purposeful. It feels like he’s never shouting—he’s speaking truths, telling stories, paying homage, and connecting musical worlds. His voice feels like someone walking you through a smoky late-night jam session with the greats.
Tracks like “Loungin’,” “No Time to Play,” and “Le Bien, Le Mal” just glide. They work just as well through headphones on a solo run, like I did, as they do soundtracking a chilled night in with a record player spinning, cooking up something special in the kitchen.
It’s one of those albums that feels timeless, like it couldn’t have come from any other artist—and if you’re into music with texture, soul, and meaning, Jazzmatazz is essential listening. Perfect if you love the intersection of jazz, conscious rap, and laid-back groove.
I’m giving this a solid 9/10!
And that’s a wrap for this week’s newsletter! I’ve had a blast writing it and I really hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together.
Next week, I’ll be wrapping up that huge project I’ve been hinting at (finally!), and then I’ll be diving into some bread and pasta experiments while getting outdoors to do some cooking.
Keep your eyes peeled for that!
In the mean time if you want more recipes like this you can catch them on my website - nomeatdisco.com
Always love,
Catch you next week,
Sam – NoMeatDisco x
Incredible!!