A favorite hiking recipe of mine is Herbed Pasta de Provence, an herb and cheese-tossed pasta designed for mushroom lovers. I worked on this recipe, which has been a Trailcooking staple, to make it a bigger serving for two people. This recipe is very easy to adapt to make for a family while RVing as well, not just for hiking and backpacking. It’s also great for lunch at home or on the road.
It’s warm, rustic, and studded with mushrooms, tomatoes, and chicken to fuel you. You can make it with whole wheat or gluten-free pasta; just note your cooking time from the package. And enjoy the carby deliciousness.
This recipe dates back to 210 when I originally made it, a few of the older photos are included at the bottom.
Herbed Pasta de Provence
- 8-ounce angel hair pasta
- 7-ounce pouch or 9 to 11-ounce can chicken breast, with pop top*
- ¼ cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 cups thinly sliced dried mushrooms
- ½ tsp diced dried garlic
- 2 Tbsp herbs de Provence*
- ¼ cup shelf stable parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil/avocado or 2 packets
At home:
Break the pasta in half and stash in a zip top bag. In a second zip top bag, pack the tomatoes and mushrooms. Crush the herbs, then pack in a snack size zip top bag with the cheese and garlic. Stash the chicken pouch/can and oil packets with it.
In camp:
Add the tomatoes and mushrooms to a 2 Liter pot along with 6 cups water. If at high altitude let soak for 10 to 15 minutes, otherwise put the pot on a high flame and bring to a boil. Add in the pasta and gently boil for time on pasta package.
Drain off the remaining water, leaving behind a Tablespoon or two of pasta water. Add in the chicken, with any broth, oil, toss and then add in the seasoning bag.
Let sit for a minute or two to meld and then enjoy!
