mushroom & kale pasta.
Once fall hits around here, mushrooms start popping up on all the menus. Which makes it a great time for me, given that they are my all time favorite thing to eat. Not one particular type of mushroom, as many varieties I can get. I never grew up eating them since my mom didn't like them. They were never something I was even exposed to. But once I started living on my own and wanted to make myself dinner that wasn't a grilled cheese sandwich, I ventured out. I'll put them on anything.
So when I get home from work and am completely starving, a quick recipe is what I need. Just a few ingredients that I can throw together and something filling and healthy. Mushrooms and Barilla® pasta were the main stars of the dish. For me, that perfect al dente pasta, doesn't need a sauce. Just a coating in a layer of olive oil surrounded by a few vegetables and such. Of course cheese is still included. Can't stray too far from my roots, but it's a bit more grown up. I found a nice sheep's milk pecorino romano at the store. Parmesan would work well too but I like the bit of funkiness that a sheep or goat's milk cheese adds. Then I sautéed up a bit of kale and threw on some toasted walnuts. Ingredients that I would typically add into a salad, so I figured they would work well to add to pasta. For someone who loves to bake and rarely will cook an actual meal for myself, this one came out quite tasty.
"This post is brought to you in partnership with Martha Stewart Living and Barilla® Pasta. All opinions and ideas are my own."
mushroom & kale pasta
3/4 pound Barilla® Rigatoni
3/4 pound mushrooms, cleaned (I used shiitake & oyster)
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pecorino romano, shaved
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
Fill a large pot up with water, salt the water, then place on stove over high heat to bring up to a boil.
While waiting for it to come up to a boil, start on the veggies. Place a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Tear up the kale leaves into pieces, leave mushrooms whole, unless very large, then cut in half. Place both in a bowl and toss with a bit of olive oil to coat.
Water should be at a boil now, add Barilla® pasta and stir occasionally. It should take about 12 minutes till it's al dente.
Back to the veggies, place them in the hot skillet and cook until kale has just wilted and mushrooms are seared on the outside. Around 5-7 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Place in your serving bowl and return skillet to heat, turning down heat to medium low. toss walnuts with a tablespoon of olive oil, then toast in pan until just browned. Set aside.
Pasta should be just about done, drain and add to serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with the mushrooms and kale. Top with walnuts and pecorino romano.