Quick Autumn Supper

Isn't autumn the most glorious time of year?

The weather has been cool, the leaves are beginning to turn, and I have about a million recipes on standby, just waiting for the perfect autumn day.

I didn't mean to stay away for so long. As usual, things have been busy. And the nasty flu bug caught up with me. Oh, I'm not cool enough for that flu that has been in the news lately. The doctor said it was just your ordinary strain, and now I get the thrill of explaining this to everyone I know, as if it is some type of consolation prize. But let me tell you, it didn't feel ordinary at the time. I ate jello for two days, and I don't even like Jello, but for some reason it was the only thing that sounded good. Weird.





Here is something a lot better than Jello. Giada's Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce. And so easy. Just the type of meal I was craving on a cool early autumn evening.

A guy at our local farmers market sells fresh mushrooms, and I always want to buy some of these beautiful specimens, but I'm afraid I'll screw 'em up. So, as I was sorting through my autumnal cooking list, I came across this recipe from an old Everyday Italian show and remembered the fresh mushrooms at the market. I like buying from this guy - as I understand - when the gas prices went sky high, he decided to start his own business, and runs a delivery truck on used cooking oil that he collects from local restaurants, and then delivers fresh, local produce to the restaurants and farmers markets around town. Pretty cool!

You can use pretty much any mushrooms you like - cremini, shitake, and button - or pasta for that matter - I didn't have rigatoni on hand, so I substituted small penne.

A glass of wine, a quick green salad, some crusty bread, and you're in business.


Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008


1 pound rigatoni pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound assorted mushrooms, (such as cremini, shiitake and button), cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes until all the liquid evaporates. Add the stock and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese. Stir until creamy. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water, and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the mushroom mixture and the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss well to coat pasta, adding the reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the chopped chives. Serve immediately.

Note: The recipe originally called for vegetable stock, which I was out of, so substituted chicken stock instead. You could use a little more leftover cooking water from the pasta and this would work just fine.