a pound of pasta....

In the past, every time I had to open a box of pasta I only cooked half of it and then left the other half in the box for another meal.  I always thought, we are never going to finish a whole pound of pasta!!! But often times, I either, didn't make enough for dinner or made too much or when I was ready to use the left over box had to open another box to even out the portions.  I always had 3-4 different shapes of pasta half way through.  So I changed my strategy a little and now cook the entire pound but leave some plain in case I want to make another meal, side dish or add it to soups, etc.  This is how this crimini mushroom pasta dish started.  Very simple but really good, specially, if you love mushrooms as much as I do.  Also, most recipes call for dry white wine but since I don't drink it, I use Vermouth instead and keep it handy every time a recipe calls for wine.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 C crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/3 C dry vermouth (Martini)
2 tbsps. mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
1/2 pound of cooked pasta, any shape would work
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp. butter to finish off the dish for flavor (optional)
1 tsp. cayenne pepper for kick (optional)


Procedure:

Place the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and the garlic and cook for a minute or two.  Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.  Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and cooked down for about 10 minutes.  Add the vermouth and continue cooking until the alcohol has evaporated for about 3-5 minutes.  Add the pasta, mascarpone cheese and Parmesan cheese to the mushrooms.  I added green onions to finish it off but you can also use parsley or even basil.  Taste in case it needs salt and pepper and serve.

Enjoy!

JulieG