this is the actual pasta i used. there were no leftovers to document its existence.

Things have been a little weird lately.  I feel like I can’t string together a story to save my life.  Is it possible that after nearly five years of blogging I’ve finally run out of things to say?  Maybe.  But there is definitely weirdness to me in not sitting down regularly and writing.

We are knee deep in our adoption home study.  Reports are being written, facts are being gathered, referenced are being interviewed.  It’s a lot of hurry up and wait to get to the next part of the process.  And frankly, there’s not a lot of anything I can actively manage about this part of the experience.  I can’t plan, or make, or do anything in a physical sense.  So there’s weirdness in the sense that I feel like I “should” be more engaged and excited about this than I am right now.

There’s also been house weirdness.  Just in the last few days our doorbell has started ringing at unexpected moments.  As a matter of fact, about halfway through the previous paragraph, it rang.  I didn’t bother to check and see who was at the door though.  That’s because for the last six months or so our doorbell has been sitting in a dish on a bookcase.  It’s one of those remote systems that has a battery operated button that sticks to your door frame and a ringer that hides away somewhere inside your house.  The adhesive on the button gave out last summer and I kept finding it laying on our front porch.  So I brought it inside and dropped it in the dish where we keep our keys, meaning to find some stronger adhesive and reinstall it outside.  Over the weekend, the bell just started ringing.

I figured maybe the keys were pressing the button and activating the bell so I moved things around a bit in the dish.  The bell rang again.  Then I took the button out of the dish and set it face up on the bookcase.  That was yesterday.  Today the bell has gone off three times.  I know the reasonable solution is to take the batteries out of the thing but I kind of like the idea of someone’s energy finding a way to let me know they came by to say hello…as long as they don’t do it in the middle of the night.

What does any of this have to do with pappardelle with mushrooms?  Not a damn thing.  But like I said, the storytelling is giving me fits.

Pappardelle with Mushrooms

Adapted from Mache Magazine

BAH Note:  I am terrible timing my dishes so that they are all done at the same time.  So while my water came to a boil, I started on the sauce.  When I got to the point where the chicken broth had reduced by half, I turned off the heat and let it sit until the pasta had gone into the water.  I then finished off the sauce and kept it on a low flame until it was time to introduce it to the pasta.

• 8 ounces pappardelle pasta
• 1 pound mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan (optional)

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package’s direction.

While the water heats and the pasta cooks, combine the olive oil and butter in  a large frying pan over medium heat.  Once the butter has melted, add the sliced mushrooms, italian seasoning, and salt to the pan and cook until they have released their liquid and begin to brown, stirring often.  Add the chicken broth to the pan and cook until the liquid has reduced by about half.

Slowly stir a few tablespoons of the reduced pan sauce into the heavy cream to temper it.  Then add the tempered cream to the frying pan and whisk to combine.  Stir in the lemon zest and taste for seasoning.  Add additional kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

Once the pasta has cooked, drain the noodles and add them to the pan with the sauce.  Stir to allow the pasta and sauce to combine and then stir in the grated parmesan if using.

{printable recipe}

The following originally appeared on 5/6/09 at Exit 51.

Notes On A Recipe – Orzo Salad

Image from Cooking Light, The Complete Quick Cook

Bruce and Mark were gracious enough to share The Complete Quick Cook with me and answer my questions.  And you may be thinking “well that’s great for you and all but what about me?”  Dear, dear friends, I would never forget about you.  I wanted to put this in a box and wrap it in shiny, sparkly paper before I gave it to you.  But Farfalle with Creamy Mushroom Sauce doesn’t readily lend itself to gift wrapping.  What it does lend itself to is easy transformations based on whatever extras you happen to have on hand.  I doubled the amount of mushrooms, thickened the sauce with a combination of butter and flour, and added diced chicken breast and peas.  That’s how I made it my own.  You do what you like.  So without further ado, I give you my newest comfort food bff.

Farfalle with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Reprinted with Permission from Cooking Light, The Complete Quick Cook

• 1 pound uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 12 ounces presliced exotic mushroom blend
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 11/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
• 2/3 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• minced fresh parsley (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, shallots, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper; cook 12 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Add wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Add pasta, cream, cheese, and 2 tablespoons parsley, tossing gently to coat. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Garnish with minced fresh parsley, if desired. Serve immedi­ately. YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups).

 CALORIES 336; FAT 11.4g (sat 6.9g, mono 3.1g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 12.1g; CARB 47.5g; FIBER 2.3g; CHOL 36mg; IRON 2.3mg; SODIUM 577mg; CALC 124mg

For as long as I can remember, my favorite way to dress pasta is with a big ol’nub of butter.  That’s it.  Pasta and butter.  Maybe some grated cheese.  Maybe.  That’s how I make it when I’m by myself.

I believe this started way back in childhood when my grandmother would take leftover spaghetti and fry it up with butter in her cast iron skillet.  Not quite spaghetti.  Kinda, sort of, almost a pancake.  If I were a betting woman, I’d put my money down on this being the spark of my love of pasta and butter.

But sometimes the refrigerator needs to be cleaned out and you’re faced with asparagus and mushrooms that are on their last legs.  And sometimes when that happens, you just happen to have spaghetti on the menu.  So instead of having pasta and a salad, you incorporate the salad into your pasta.  At least, that’s how it went down at my house.

So now that I’ve stumbled into the wonderful world of pasta with mushrooms and asparagus, I may have to plan a return visit.

Pasta with Mushrooms and Asparagus

Adapted from Angry Asian Creations

BAH Note:  If you happen to have a fancy finishing olive oil in your pantry, you’ll want to pull it out for this.  And if that fancy finishing olive oil just happens to have been kissed with meyer lemon, even better.  To really fancypants it up, use any of Cipriani’s pastas.  They are absolutely sublime and cook in three minutes.

• 1/2 pound pappardelle pasta
• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 8 ounces mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• grated parmesan cheese

Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil over high heat.

While the water comes to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Cook the mushrooms until they release their liquid and begin to brown. Add the asparagus and cook until it is done to your liking.  Add the lemon juice and zest, taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as necessary.  Remove the pan from the heat while you cook the pasta.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions until al dente.  Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.  Toss the pasta in with the vegetables and add cooking water if the pasta starts to stick together. Taste for seasoning again and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve garnished with grated parmesan and a bit of finishing oil if you have some.

{printable recipe}

screen shot from epicurious.com

I’m going to disagree with the folks at Epicurious, Merriam-Webster, TheFreeDictionary.com, YourDictionary.com, Answers.com, and countless other resources that define Risotto as a rice dish.  If I’ve heard Anne Burrell say it once, she’s said it a hundred times, risotto is a method of cooking.  But we’ve all basically shorthanded it so that it generally refers to the final product instead of the method.  I’d like you to reconsider that.  And The Minimalist is going to help.

I should say that Risotto Style Pasta is more involved than dumping your pasta into boiling water and walking away for 8 minutes.  Risotto style pasta requires hands on participation.  It needs you to whisper sweet nothings into the pot while you gently stir the broth and pasta.  What you’ll get in return is a love letter to creamy al dente perfection.

I don’t know about you, but I think we could all use a love letter every now and then.  I mean image how much happier the world could be if we all got love letters; if we all felt important and special; if we all had a belly full of satisfying creamy pasta with chicken and mushrooms.  Maybe one day we will thank The Minimalist for his contribution to world peace.

Risotto Style Pasta with Chicken and Mushrooms

Adapted from Mark Bittman

BAH Note:  According to The Minimalist’s recipe, it looks like you can use almost any kind of pasta….cut pasta like ziti or long pasta like spaghetti.  I wouldn’t go for extremely thin pastas like angel hair, or any fresh or refrigerated pasta, you need them to be able to stand up to a fair amount of cooking without falling apart.  If you happen to have leftover cooked chicken on hand, I would add that in at the very end instead of dicing up raw chicken and cooking it with the pasta.  I thought the leftovers a day or two later were even better than what we served up right off the stove.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 pound orzo
• 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 3 or 4 boneless chicken thighs
• grated parmesan

Carefully dice the chicken thighs and set them aside.

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallot and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

While the mushrooms cook, bring the chicken broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan.

Add the pasta and diced chicken to the pot with the mushrooms and stir so that it gets completely coated with the oil in the pot.  Add the wine, if using, or 1/2 cup of the broth and let the liquid cook down.

Add the remaining broth in 1/2 cup increments, stirring frequently.  You want most of the liquid in the pot to evaporate before you add more.  After about 10 minutes, the pasta should be close to al dente.  Continue to cook to your desired doneness, taste for seasoning, and add salt as needed.

Serve garnished with grated parmesan.

{printable recipe}

No, I haven’t gotten back together with ATK.  But I still have some of their recipes floating around my kitchen which need to make their way to the blog.  Like this stovetop mac and cheese.  I’ve had it in my life for almost four years and yet I haven’t yet shared it with you.

And that’s just wrong.  Because in the world of quick and easy cooking, it doesn’t get much better than this.  In the time it takes to get your water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente, the sauce is ready to receive the macaroni and coat it in its luscious, creamy goodness.  I think that should be enough motivation to put this on your menu soon.

Confidential to Jenna…I know you didn’t exactly hit it off with the last stovetop mac and cheese I raved about.  I hope you’ll have a better experience with this.

Kerrygold Mac and Cheese

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

BAH Note: The recipe I worked from was actually a “lighter” mac and cheese that used low fat this and light that.  I personally don’t eat pasta often.  So when I do, it’s a big deal and I go all out.  If you find you’re making this on a regular basis, you may want to consider using the reduced fat versions of milk, evaporated milk, and cheese.  Also, ATK didn’t name the recipe Kerrygold Mac and Cheese….that was all my doing.  Do yourself a huge favor and try it at least once with Kerrygold Cheddar…and you’ll see why.  But note that the blocks of Kerrygold are only 7 ounces.  That missing ounce didn’t make any difference in my sauce.

• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup milk or half and half
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
• kosher salt
• cayenne pepper or chili powder (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni according to the package directions until it is al dente.  If your pasta is done before the cheese sauce is ready, drain the pasta and leave it in the colander while the sauce finishes.

Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the milk or half and half in a small bowl until dissolved and set aside.

Meanwhile, whisk together the evaporated milk, the remaining 1/2 cup milk or half and half, and dry mustard in a pot or dutch oven and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat slightly and whisk in the cornstarch mixture.  Continue to simmer, whisking often, until the sauce thickens and is smooth, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.

Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and add the grated cheese.  Stir until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.  Stir in the pasta, taste for seasoning, and add kosher salt as desired.

Let the macaroni and cheese sit for about 5 minutes before serving, garnished with a very light sprinkle of cayenne pepper or chili powder.

{printable recipe}

This winter has been especially frightful.  I can’t even begin to image what it has been like for people living in the midwest or northeast who have been utterly beaten down with snow.  I survived Snomageddon 2010 and know the misery that comes when the forecast calls for accumulations measured in feet instead of inches.  Y’all have my sympathies.

While I can’t personally help you dig out from Snowpocalypse 2011, I can offer you a recipe that will have you imagining a land of picnics and potlucks, warm breezes and sunny skies, and flip flops and halter tops.

Don’t forget to take along some imaginary sunscreen.

Lemony Seafood Pasta Salad

Adapted from Pam Anderson’s Perfect One Dish Dinners

BAH Note:  If you showed up to a potluck at my house with this dish, you would earn a special place in my heart.  I kept tweaking the dressing because the lemons I used were extremely sour.  I had to add agave nectar to balance the extreme puckering produced by my produce.  Feel free to add a minced clove of garlic to the dressing to turn up the flavor. And if you like your dressing with more olive oil, add it.  I purposely scaled the olive oil down to suit my tastes (Pam’s recipes calls for 1/2 cup).

BAT Tip: When you cut up the raw shrimp, you want the pieces to be approximately the same size as the scallops so they cook in the same amount of time. And yes, as unconventional as it may seem to cook your seafood with your pasta, it works beautifully.

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pound small pasta
• 1/2 pound bay scallops
• 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut into halves
• 7 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• dried oregano

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, and garlic (if using).  Slowly whisk in the olive oil.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.  Set the dressing aside.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions until it is just al dente, approximately 10 to 12 minutes depending on your pasta.  Add the seafood to the pasta pot and cook for one to two minutes until the shrimp and scallops are just cooked and opaque.  Drain the pasta and seafood without rinsing and transfer them to a large bowl to cool slightly.

Just before serving, mix the tomatoes, feta, and oregano into the bowl with the pasta.  Add the dressing and stir to combine.

{printable recipe}

Macaroni and cheese and I have a long history together. I grew up with the blue boxed variety and then moved into the realm of frozen cheesy pasta goodness.  Don’t tell anyone I told you this, but in a pinch both Stouffer’s and Trader Joe’s have a mighty fine frozen mac and cheese product.  And I suspect that someone, somewhere, has passed one of these off as homemade.  I’m not saying I’ve ever done that.  I’m just speculating that it has happened.  The thing about that is as easy as frozen mac and cheese is, homemade is not much more work.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Can I boil water?
• Can I carefully measure out hot cooking water?
• Can I pour cream into a saucepan cook it down?
• Can I shred cheese?
• Can I mix together pasta, cream, cheese, and cooking water?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, you can make macaroni and cheese.  And not just any mac and cheese.  This is Michael Symon’s mac and cheese (MSmac).  With no disrespect to the recipes I’ve tried from Martha, Ina, and Deb, this might just be the best mac and cheese I’ve ever made.  Why is that?

First: I prefer stovetop mac and cheese over one that is oven baked. MSmac goes directly from stovetop to plate so my mac and cheese needs can be met in no more time than it takes to make the sauce and cook the pasta.

Second: I don’t want to spend $$$$ on three, four, or five different cheeses.  MSmac calls for one cheese and while it’s fancier than American or Cheddar, it won’t break the week’s food budget.

Third: MSmac has a rich, silky cheese sauce.  There are no lumps, clumps, or globs to dampen my mac and cheese enjoyment.

Fourth: MSmac has bacon.  Does that really require an explanation?

Fifth: There really isn’t a fifth reason since bacon trumps anything else I could say.

I first discovered MSmac thanks to Alice at Savory Sweet Life.  She wrote about it and I knew that it would not be long before MSmac and I found ourselves alone together.  It was our destiny to find one another across the Intewebs.  And let me tell you, destiny does not like to wait.  Now that destiny has brought me together with MSmac, I don’t know what could ever tear us apart.  This is what I want when all the little things in my day go wrong.  This is how I want to console myself when the Universe is conspiring against me.  This is my definition of comfort food.

Perhaps MSmac is right for you?

Disclaimer:  Side effects of MSmac are mild to moderate and include eating it straight from the pot and licking cheese sauce off of serving utensils.  Consult professional help for sauces requiring 30 minutes or more to reduce.

Mac & Cheese

Adapted from Chef Michael Symon

BAH Note: I’ve scaled this down because having the full recipe’s worth of this in my house is dangerous.  In my opinion, this is best served as a side so you can enjoy a smaller serving and not feel completely wicked.  But it can just as easily be your main course.  You’ll want to be sure to use a nonstick saucepan and watch your heat so that the cream doesn’t scorch or boil over.

BAH Tip:  I’m bad at guestimating when liquids have reduced, so to check I carefully poured the hot cream into a 2 cup liquid measuring cup to gauge my progress.  It’s really about the volume of the cream more than it is about how long it takes.  Just be patient and don’t rush the process.

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1/4 pound bacon, fried, drained, and crumbled
• 1/2 pound short pasta
• 4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Bring cream and rosemary to a low boil over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Keep at a low boil, stirring frequently, until reduced by half and thickened, approximately 25 minutes.

While the cream is reducing, cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid before draining the pasta.

When the cream has reduced, add the pasta and grated Gruyere and stir to combine.  Add pasta water until the sauce is as loose as you like.  Stir in the crumbled bacon, taste for seasoning, and add salt to taste.

{printable recipe}

I admire Alice for speaking difficult truths, for honoring her own convictions, for owning her opinions, for encouraging others to follow their passions, for being both a vocal critic and an ardent cheerleader, for reminding us to be authentic, and for being one of the warmest, most welcoming people I have ever met. I truly feel lucky to have met her in person and seen the passion she has for what she does and for this community of food bloggers.

When I read her Tuna Casserole post on PBS Kitchen Explorers, I ached to have it as part of the Food Memories project.  She eloquently conveyed how her food memories played a huge role in her life.  I connected with this story in a lot of ways and I really loved how she honored her early experiences with food.  I am honored that Alice is allowing me to share it with you here.

Alice’s Tuna Casserole

Cooking and baking has always been a part of who I am.  My mother and father had to work twelve hour days to put food on the table.  Having six kids was challenging and they did their best to make sure we were clothed, fed, and had a roof over our heads.  The food wasn’t glamorous but it sustained and nourished our bodies.  My mother would often prepare a big one pot dish before leaving for work, which would be waiting for us on the stove top for dinner.  Most of the time these dishes were very basic and accompanied by warmed rice made in a rice cooker.

Although our family certainly qualified for public assistance, the prideful part of my father seemed to always override the need for more food in our cupboards.  Nevertheless we managed, partly because of my resourceful grandmother who would occasionally bring us bags of groceries she received from the local food bank; bags of canned and boxed goods in white labels with black letters.  These canned and boxed government issued foods would become my pantry, which started my love affair with cooking and baking.

I had to be resourceful, creative, and flexible – a philosophy which would apply to every aspect of my life including working in the kitchen.  My mother was not home to teach me to cook, but watching cooking shows on PBS planted seeds in my heart.  Although we never had any of the ingredients on hand to make anything I watched on television, I would experiment with what we did have on hand.  I developed my first recipe at eight years old.  I opened up a few cans of tuna, cooked some packaged pasta, stirred in some frozen peas, and mixed everything in a bath of shredded cheese, milk, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.  To top this casserole off, I crumbled Shredded Wheat cereal over a 9×13 baking dish and dinner was served.  My siblings and I devoured my no recipe-recipe and soon I was known as the cook of the family.

I learned to bake from my neighbor, Alice (I was actually named after her).  She was an elderly lady who never married and we considered her our American grandmother.  Her yard was covered in fruit trees and a vegetable garden we looked forward to eating from every time we visited. Every year she would take us kids to the local strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry farms to pick fresh seasonal fruit.  She then would bake the best pies and pastries in the world for us to enjoy.  Her love of baking and teaching was passed on to me as if I were her granddaughter, for which I will always be indebted.

Today my three beautiful children – Abbi (9), Mimi (7), and Eli (2) – and I cook and bake together all the time.  From the moment each of them was able to hold a spoon I’ve tried to teach them the basics of cooking and baking, and encouraged them to discover their own way.  They’re developing their own creative flare with what they make.  My husband Rob and I love watching them explore their potential in the kitchen, burnt cookies and all.

I’m an avid home cook and baker.  The advice, recipes, and stories I’ll be sharing with you are from everyday moments and experiences – not from culinary training or professional expertise.  I believe in being creative, resourceful, and flexible.  This is the approach I will share with you here and on my personal food blog: Savory Sweet Life.

I’m thrilled to be a weekly food contributor as part of the PBS Parents team along with my partner, Aviva Goldfarb.  I’m most looking forward to hearing your stories, recipes, tips, and ideas of food you love and how you incorporate it into your daily routine.  My hope is that we can become friends- learning and growing from each other.  I don’t have all the answers but I’m more than happy to share with you what I do know.  I also plan on reaching out to the PBS Parents Kitchen Explorers community for your ideas and perhaps even showcase them on one of my weekly posts.  I invite you to become an active participant in our newly launched community.  Together we will laugh, commiserate, and share family-friendly food our families will love and enjoy!

Reminiscent of my childhood, here’s is an updated version of my tuna noodle casserole recipe.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Reprinted with permission of Alice Currah

BAH Note:   I am a sucker for tuna noodle casserole.  It is one of my most comforting  guilty pleasures.  There, I feel much better getting that out in the open.

• 6 oz dried curly egg noodles
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 oz package sliced mushrooms
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 8 oz package shredded medium Cheddar cheese, divided
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 2 (5-oz) cans solid white albacore tuna in water, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup potato chips, gently crushed into smaller pieces

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cook noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente.  Drain noodles and set aside.

Sauté onion in butter in a 12″ heavy skillet over medium heat for five minutes.  Add mushrooms, celery, and salt and cook for five minutes longer.  Stir in water and bouillon cubes.

In a small bowl, whisk milk and cornstarch until completely dissolved.  Add the milk mixture and 3/4 cup of cheese to the skillet and stir everything until well incorporated and sauce is nice and thick.

Add noodles, peas and tuna and gently fold them in. Season with pepper and additional salt to taste.  Sprinkle remaining cheese and crushed potato chips evenly on top.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

{printable recipe}

Would it surprise you if I said that for most of my life, I thought ragu meant the spaghetti sauce that came in the jar with the picture of a gondola?  Tragic, I know.  It’s a wonder that I have any kitchen skills after years of being exposed to high levels of prepackaged food radiation.  I have since come to appreciate that a ragu is traditionally a sauce of ground beef, tomatoes, onions, celery, carrots, white wine, and seasoning.  But I struggle with homemade pasta sauces, maybe because I’m so accustomed to eating the jarred stuff, after making a few modifications of course.  So instead of trying to master a traditional ragu, I decided to give mushroom ragu a try.

I love the combination of mushrooms and wine.  And I like being able to whip up a hearty, meatless meal with a minimum of fuss.  So why has it taken me so long to become acquainted with mushroom ragu?  My best defense is that I don’t usually seek out pasta recipes.  That this one found me via the Washington Post was divine intervention. I can’t promise that it will change my mind completely about homemade sauce but it has opened my eyes that there’s more than one way to dress pasta.

And that confession that I actually like jarred pasta sauce, that will stay just between us won’t it?

Penne with Mushroom Ragu

The Washington Post

BAH Note:  I think that this dish needs a little more flavor, maybe in the form of thyme or oregano.  And the next time I make this, I might substitute a nice briny Feta for the Parmesan and let it melt in the sauce a bit before adding the pasta.

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pound assorted mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces penne, uncooked
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Bring a large pot of water to boil, cook and drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the onions and stirring occasionally, cook until soft, approximately 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and salt to the pan and cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown, approximately 10 minutes.

Lower the heat under the skillet to medium and add the wine.  Stir to combine.  Cook until the liquid has reduced by half, approximately 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the parsley.  Taste for seasoning and add additional salt as desired.

Add the drained pasta to the skillet and stir to combine.  Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

{printable recipe}

Filed under: Cooking, Food, Main Course, Pasta, Photo, Recipe Tagged: Penne with Mushroom Ragu, Washington Post ]]> http://bonappetithon.com/2010/04/22/ragu/feed/ 12 pmf1852 Penne with Mushrooms