How to make Ariana Grande’s Go-to Dinner

Ariana Grande is not only a pop culture icon – she is also a fan of cooking at home. On a recent episode of the podcast SmartlessAriana shared her favorite meal and it is surprisingly simple, yet delicious: pasta with homemade vegan pesto and toasted mushrooms.

“I’m vegan, so I love to roast mushrooms with different variants and make a vegan pesto,” says Grande, before adding, “I’m Italian, so we have to have it (pasta).”

As a proud Italian and dedicated vegan, Grande has mastered the art of balancing the tradition of plant -based creativity. Her love for pasta is non-convertible, but she keeps things fresh by swapping traditional dairy-heavy sauces for lively vegan alternatives. The toasted mushrooms add a rich, earthy taste that lifts the bowl.

If you are fascinated by this delicious, yet easy -to -make dish, it is surprisingly easy to recreate it at home. Start by choosing your favorite pasta-what is either whole grain, gluten-free or maybe even some handmade noodles. Cooking pasta al dente is the key to making sure it has just the right bite.

And although pasta is always delicious, it is to fry the mushrooms where the magic happens. Cremini, Button and Oyster Mushrooms all work beautifully, but every variety will do – Grande says she often chooses a mixture.

Throw them with olive oil, salt and pepper, and fry them in the oven at 450 ° F for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy around the edges. The result is a deep, rich flavor that fits perfectly with the fresh pesto. And if you want to add even more flavor to the mushrooms, you can choose to try recipes like our toasted mushrooms with brown butter & parmesan or balsamic toasted mushrooms with parmesan. If you omit the parm, the second recipe would make a great vegan addition to your next bowl of pesto paste.

When we talk about pesto, Grande keeps it vegan, and so can you. Traditional pesto typically requires parmesan cheese, but it is easy to make a dairy-free version without sacrificing flavor. Try the vegan pesto in this stuffed spaghetti squash recipe that uses nutrition yeast for the cheese -like undertone while letting the flavors of basil, garlic, pine and olive oil shine. Throw the pesto with your cooked pasta and add a splash of reserved pasta water to help the sauce to adhere to the noodles, creating a silky coating of restaurant quality.

To bring the bowl together, just top the pesto-coated pasta with the toasted mushrooms. The combination is a testimony to how plant -based eating does not have to be bland or boring. It is vibrant, satisfying and full of taste – a meal that feels as luxurious as it is nourishing.

And if you are not vegan but still want to catch the taste profile of this bowl, you can always try our broken mushrooms with pesto & burrata recipe for a rich, cheesy alternative.

Whether you are a devoted Ariana Grande fan or just in search of a new dinner page, this dish is worth a try. The best part? It’s fast enough for a weekday meal, yet impressive enough to serve at a dinner party. So the next time you crave a comforting, yet elevated meal, follow Ariana’s lead and let pasta, pesto and toasted mushrooms take the center.