Man, this pasta is BOMB. It's creamy and hearty with a hint of sweetness from the caramelized onions, and a delicious earthy note from the mushrooms. My secret is that I use dried mushrooms when I make this pasta. Don't be intimidated by dried mushrooms- they can be found in any grocery store, usually right next to the fresh mushrooms or in the canned foods aisle, and just require 1 or 2 more steps than when working with fresh mushrooms. Of course, you can totally use fresh shroomies, but I love using the dehydrated puppies because their flavor is more concentrated, and the rehydrating liquid adds amazing depth to the cream sauce. The results are tremendous! When paired with a nice, full bodied red wine, this dish is the ultimate comfort food. Also pairs well with Netflix and a Saturday night in. Now, I will say that dried mushrooms can get a little pricy. I got a 1/2 oz pack for like $3.99. Like I said earlier, if desired, you can absolutely use fresh mushrooms for this recipe. Ingredients (makes 4 servings): • 8 oz fettuccini • 1/2 oz dried mushrooms (I like to use shiitake for this recipe) • 3 cups baby kale or spinach • 1 large sweet onion, sliced (should yield about 2.5 cups raw) • 1/3 cup unsweetened, unflavored almond milk • 2/3 half & half • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese • Salt and cracked black pepper to taste • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 tsp cornstarch Directions: • Begin by soaking your mushrooms in lukewarm water for 30-60 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, but reserve the liquid. Run the rehydrating liquid through either a fine mesh strainer or a paper coffee filter (suggested) in order to strain out any excess grit. • Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add onions and stir occasionally until the onions begin to sear, but not burn. Reduce heat to low and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally, let cook for about 30 minutes, until the onions are golden brown and glorious. Remove from heat and set aside. • While the onions are cooking, thinly slice the rehydrated mushrooms. Add to a nonstick pan and cook over low-medium heat, stirring every minute or so. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the mushrooms firm up and most of the excess water has evaporated. • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook pasta for 12 minutes, until al dente. Reserve 3 tbsp of the pasta water before draining. • Once the onions are done, add the mushrooms and kale (or spinach) and cook until the leaves have wilted. Add almond milk, half & half, cheese, and 1 tbsp of the reserved mushroom water. Stir to combine. • Add cornstarch to the reserved pasta water, stir to combine, then add to the cream sauce. Bring the sauce to a light simmer, and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until sauce has thickened, then stir the pasta into the sauce. • Serve hot and enjoy!
1 Comment
11/16/2018 12:52:11 pm
Pasta used to be my least favorite food. Everyone in my family loves pasta, so I would always be forced to eat pasta because no other food was served. When I was little, I did not like how creamy pasta tasted like. Anything with cheese, cream, and milk is something that would always make me gag. My mom would always say that when I grow up, I'd appreciate the taste of pasta. And it turns out that she was right because now that I am in my thirties, I cannot get enough of pasta. I guess as you grow older, your taste buds change and the food you used to hate will turn out to be the ones you will love when you are already an adult.
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Hi! I'm Shantal.
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