Mini Farfalle With Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Now that I'm menu planning again, I have started pulling out recipes from my enormous "to try" pile. This recipe is adapted from the December 2007 issue of Cooking Light. The original calls for onions and shallots, which Marc and I don't care for, and wild mushrooms, which I didn't see at Trader Joe's. I also omitted the white wine, since I didn't have any, substituted half and half for whipping cream, and doubled the amount of cheese.

The original recipe calls for a pound of uncooked pasta (farfalle = bowties), but I reserved 1 1/2 cups of cooked pasta for the boys in case they didn't like the mushroom sauce (they didn't).

Mini Farfalle with Creamy Mushroom Sauce (adapted from this Cooking Light recipe)
Serves 8

14 ounces uncooked mini farfalle (I used Barilla Piccolini, but any farfalle or even rotini would work)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
8 ounces sliced button mushrooms
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. (Or use the same pot that you cooked the pasta in if it's nonstick.) Add onion powder, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper and mushrooms, and cook 12 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the half and half, cheeses, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the pasta and stir to coat. Sprinkle in the parsley or use it as garnish.


Banner via Logical Media