MUSHROOM MOSTACCIOLI

Hi There!

I’ve been taking you traveling with me all last week, so I thought I’d change it up a bit today and share with you one of my favorite pasta recipes.  It’s Mushroom Mostaccioli and it is one of my go-to recipes that I’ve been preparing for almost as long as I’ve been cooking.

It reminds me of eating al fresco in a Tuscan Trattoria.  But, since I have no plans to be in Italy this summer, I decided it was the perfect dish to serve my vegetarian friends on a warm summer evening on my own terrace here in Lake Arrowhead.

I just noticed I’ve been sharing a lot of “mushroom” recipes lately, so I hope you like them.  In any case, you can be sure that mushrooms like you!  Did you know that mushrooms are great for keeping the skin youthful ?  That’s right, they are full of good things that actually help feed your skin and prevent wrinkles.  Good things in mushrooms like “Selenium” help protect newly formed skin cells from sun and chemical damage.  They are also loaded with “B vitamins” which not only give you energy but support the metabolic process behind the growth of new skin cells.  And, finally, mushrooms provide us with the mineral “copper” which helps the body manufacture antioxidants.

So, have I given you enough reasons to make my recipe for Mushroom Mostaccioli?  

1. It makes you feel like you are dining al fresco in an Italian Trattoria.
2. It tastes delicious.
3. It helps keep your skin looking youthful.

What more could a girl desire?

So, let me show you how to make it.

To get started you’ll need about 6 shallots (depending on their size), enough to make 1 cup diced shallots.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the diced shallots…

and saute them until they are tender and translucent – about 4 minutes.

Next, you’ll need about 14 ounces of large button mushrooms.  I have been known to use other types of fresh mushrooms for this recipe, so feel free to substitute the mushroom variety you prefer.  Clean, stem and slice them…

and add them to the pan with the shallots.

Then cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes until they have softened and released their moisture.  Add Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper to taste.

At this point it’s time to add 1/2 cup of dry white wine.  I usually use Pinot Grigio, my favorite white wine.  Simmer for about 3 minutes until the wine evaporates.

The next ingredient is 1-1/2 Cups of diced canned tomatoes.  During tomato season, I have been known to use fresh tomatoes, diced up along with their juices instead of canned.  If you have an abundance of tomatoes growing in your garden, this is a great way to use them.

Now you’ll need to chop up 1/2 cup of flat-leaf parsley, also known as Italian parsley.  I think fresh parsley is a wonderful thing!  It freshens up so many dishes and is really good for you too.  I always keep it on hand and try to add it to all kinds of dishes.

Add the parsley to the mushroom mixture…

along with 1/2 cup of heavy cream.

Simmer uncovered another couple of minutes.   Now your sauce is ready to be added to the pasta which I’m going to tell you how to prepare next. You could actually have done this earlier, timing the pasta to be ready at the same time as the sauce.

Add 1 teaspoon of salt to a large pot of water and bring it to a rolling boil.  Add a 1 lb. box of Mostaccioli to the boiling water.  Cook, uncovered, for 10 to 11 minutes until the pasta is al dente.  Now don’t go over cooking your pasta, ya hear, ’cause no one likes mushy, starchy, overcooked pasta.  Drain the cooked pasta and return it to the pot.  Mix in the mushroom sauce.

Sprinkle in a little freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to taste…

garnish with a sprig of parsley and serve hot to your very happy dinner companions.

ENJOY!

So there you have it: Mushroom Mostaccioli.

MUSHROOM MOSTACCIOLI

 

Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

If you like mushrooms you'll love them cooked with shallots and white wine and added to hot, al dente mostaccioli pasta.

Author: Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup of diced shallots
• 14 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and sliced
• Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper to taste
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1-1/2 cups diced canned or fresh tomatoes with juices
• ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 lb. mostaccioli
• Parmesan cheese, grated, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan.
2. Add diced shallots and cook until tender and translucent, about 4 minutes.
3. Add sliced mushrooms and cook uncovered for another 4 minutes until tender and juices are released.
4. Add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
5. Add white wine and simmer uncovered until it evaporates, about 3 minutes.
6. Add diced tomatoes and chopped parsley, stirring and simmering another 4 minutes or so.
7. Stir in heavy cream and simmer uncovered another 2 minutes.
8. Remove pan from heat, cover and keep warm while you prepare the pasta.
9. Add 1 teaspoon salt to a large pot of water and bring it to a rolling boil.
10. Add pasta and cook, uncovered, for 10 to 11 minutes or until al dente.
11. Drain pasta, return it to the pot and mix in the mushroom sauce along with Parmesan cheese to taste.
12. Serve hot, garnished with a parsley leaf.

Notes

Feel free to substitute your preferred variety of mushroom. Serve hot with a crisp green salad.

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