I have a deep love for mushrooms and pasta, so bringing the two together in a dish with cheese (another deep love of mine) is a match made in food heaven for me. And it's a really versatile dish too. You can add whatever else you want to it (I hear bacon is good with this!).
Total Time: 45 Minutes (Prep - 10 Minutes / Cook - 35 Minutes)
Servings: 10
Ingredients
1 lb whole wheat penne pasta
1 head cauliflower (about 6-7 cups of florets)
3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth, divided
3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
24 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (or any cheese of your choice)
Fresh sage
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta for 5 minutes - it should still be a little bit firm. Drain, toss with a drizzle of oil and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes until tender-crisp.
Meanwhile, saute the mince garlic with a tablespoon of butter.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked cauliflower to a blender with 2 cups broth, milk, oil, salt and sauteed garlic. Puree until very smooth (may need to do this in batches).
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the 3 tablespoons of butter in a very large skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute until golden brown.
Toss the cooked pasta, cauliflower sauce and mushrooms together. Add the remaining cup of broth to help the consistency stay saucy.
Transfer to a deep 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Some of the moisture from the mushrooms will seep out - give it a quick stir to reincorporate and make it creamy.
Tips
* If you want to add an extra punch of flavor to your dish, add some caramelized onions, bacon, and/or sausage to the pasta before mixing and baking.
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