At home we all look forward to our Saturday Special - Pasta! Our last experiment was this pasta with mushrooms in a creamy white sauce which is simply delicious. White sauce blends well with the mushrooms unlike tomato based sauce. The herb used here is cilantro which lends a nice aroma to the sauce. The sauce & the pasta can be cooked in advance and assembled at serving time.
Serves : 4
Ethnicity : Italian
Ingredients:
For pasta:
- 2 cups uncooked pasta - such as penne, gnocchi, fussilli, macaroni, elbow
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp butter
For white sauce:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 to 2 1/2 tbsp plain flour
- 4 cloves garlic, peel and chop finely
- 1 1/2 tbsp coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup fresh cream (optional, increase quantity of milk instead to 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup grated cheese (mozarella or cheddar) - increase or reduce per taste
- salt and pepper powder to taste
Garnish:
- 3 tbsp grated cheese
Method:
For pasta:
1. Boil the pasta as per instructions on the pack. Drain and set aside.
For sauce:
1. Boil the sliced mushrooms for about 6 to 8 mins. Drain.
2. Melt 4 tbsp butter in pan and saute the mushrooms for 3-4 mins. Add the garlic and stir for few seconds over low flame.
3. Add the flour and cook over low heat for a minute. Add the cilantro and remove from fire. Pour in the milk and mix well to dissolve the flour. See that there are no lumps. Keep back on heat and cook till the sauce starts to thicken and coat the spoon. Remove from heat.
4. Add in the cheese, cream (if adding), salt and pepper. Set aside till serving time.
At serving time:
1. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a large non stick pan and toss the cooked pasta in it till heated. Add the oregano, 1/2 tsp salt. Mix and remove from fire.
2. As you heat the pasta, keep the sauce over a low flame. Remove from fire when it is just about to boil.
3. On the serving plate, spread the warm pasta and pour the hot sauce over the pasta. Garnish with cheese and serve immediately.
Notes:
1. In place of mushrooms you can use a combination of chopped carrots, boiled corn and paneer cubes. You may saute these ingredients separately in 1-2 tsps butter, pinch salt and pepper and a dash of herbs. Then add to the white sauce in the end as its getting done or along with pasta.
Posted by Prathima Rao
Food
