Monday, December 11, 2006

Creamy Farfalle

I am always searching for new pasta dishes to try, as both the husband and Matheus are truly fan of the stuff. We have been adventurous lately with the pasta recipes, and I actually like trying these different dishes, as I usually make it but sometimes end up cooking something else to make up for most part of my meal (Not a big fan of pasta, plus due to my stomach issues I need to limit my consumption of tomato products and cream, both products that my husband adores in his macaroni!)
Last Sunday I made Farfalle With Creamy Mushroom Sauce, which involves a mix of fresh mushrooms, an ingredient that although we enjoy the flavors, I don't use very often. I don't exactly know why, but I guess it is because it is something neither of us grew up eating, so I was not used to cook with it.
Anyways, I saw the recipe and picture at my favorite magazine and knew I was going to try this dish. It looked pretty and seemed to be easy to make, two big pluses in my style of cooking.
So I went ahead, made the dish, and it was a hit! Definitely easy and simple to make, came together fairly quickly, looked pretty on the plate and tasted very good. What else could you ask for?!
It sure does have some heavy cream (not much though) in the sauce, and I believe that you do need this ingredient to give you a good creaminess and smooth texture to the sauce. But the flavors here goes a lot deeper than the cream itself.
The sautéed shallots and garlic imparted great taste to the sauce, and then there was the earthiness of the mix of mushrooms (I used shitakes and creminis), which melded nicely into the onion mix. But the real improvement to me came when the white wine was added and the sauce was reduced. Wow, the flavors here were great, I could have added just this to the pasta and would have been happy with it.
The cream and cheese sure added a lot of flavor, and the parsley some freshness and color as well. A great combination of flavors, it looked like pasta from a restaurant, and tasted just as it should, without being heavy as some pasta dishes we get when eating out.
The husband said he would like it to have a little more sauce, but I found it to be a nice and flavorful dish as is, and all in all it was certainly a success!
Enjoy!
Ana

Farfalle with Creamy Wild Mushroom Sauce (Adapted from Cooking Light, December 2006)
1 pound uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta)
1 tablespoon butter
12 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package directions. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium 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, remove from heat. Add the cooked pasta, cream, cheese, and parsley, tossing gently to coat. Stir in the remaining 1/2-teaspoon salt if needed. You can garnish with minced fresh parsley, and then serve.
Yield: 8 servings

6 comments:

Karen said...

Também adoro cogumelos, mas não os compro sempre, o preço às vezes é desanimador.

Cinara said...

Que delícia, Ana! Eu já fiz algo parecido, mas usei o creme de mushrooms da Campbell's. Pura preguiça... ;o) Bjs!

Valentina said...

I LOVE the way you write. Sometimes I read your post over and over again,just for the pleasure of the read. I am a big fan of both pasta and mushrooms so can you imagine how many buttons this recipe pushed?? I rest my case.

Patricia Scarpin said...

Ana, your pasta dishes are always so delicious!

I have missed your comments on my blog, I hope you can find some time to check my recent posts!

Ana said...

Karen, nao eh mesmo dos ingredientes mais em conta. Acho q por isso tbem nao uso muito! hehe!

Cinara, as vezes bate preguica mesmo! hehe! Mas p/ ser bem sincera eu nao sou fa das sopas enlatadas nao...

Valentina, thank you so much, you made my day with your comment!! I love to talk and write about food, and reading someone tells you that she likes your writing is very nice! And believe or not, I thought about you when I made this recipe, I am pretty sure you are going to love this one!

Patricia, thanks! Even though I don't always comment, I do visit your blog everyday! There are a few blogs I just "need" to see on a daily basics. It is funny, but we do get used to our internet routines, don't we?!!

Ana

Unknown said...

Think this dish tastes good the first time around??? Even better the second. I always make extra for lunches. So, after a night of marinating in the fridge...mmmm...delicious!!!