Mushroom Fettuccine with Goat Cheese Sauce
Prep Time: About 30 minutes
Meal Notes: This plate-scraping recipe combines three of my all-time favorite foods - pasta, mushrooms, and goat cheese - for an easy but elevated vegetarian dinner. No side-dishes are necessary to make a complete meal, but consider stretching the servings and upping the healthy factor by pairing it with a salad. Alternately, consider adding a green vegetable, like broccoli florets, to the sauce, increasing liquid and cheese amounts proportionally.
Ingredients:
8 oz fettuccini (fresh, if you can find it at your go-to grocery store, but dry works too)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 oz fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced (I like to use portobello and/or cremini)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
3 oz goat cheese
Black pepper
Salt
Chives, minced (fresh or dry, optional for garnish)
Instructions
Cook the Pasta: Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add salt, followed by fettuccine. Cook until chewy, but still slightly underdone (al dente), which will likely be about a minute less than the package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water in a small bowl and then drain the pasta in a calender.
Cook the Mushrooms: Return the same pan to the stove and add butter, shallot, garlic, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium high heat until the mushrooms begin to soften (about 4 minutes), Add the wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by half (about 1 minute).
Make the Sauce: To the mushrooms, add the cream and goat cheese, cooking and stirring until the cheese melt and sauce forms. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Finish: Return the pasta to the pan and toss to coat it in the sauce. If the pasta is sticking together or the sauce is too thick for your liking, add a little of the reserved pasta water. Serve sprinkled with chives.