I'm a #Tomatogirl, Living in a Tomato World
I'm a #Tomatogirl, Living in a Tomato World
#TomatoGirlSummer is more than just a hashtag, and I'm loving every single bite!
Sunny days and sun kissed skin. Cool mornings and buzzing bees. I imagine walking through my small flowerbeds with a coffee mug in hand, admiring the latest flowers. My comfortable linen maxi dress swishes at my ankles, wicking up some of the morning dew as I walk across the lawn. I’m thinking of what to make for supper with the overflowing basil plant out on the back patio, and how to use the dozen or so ripe tomatoes on my counter. I’m aiming to live my best slow-paced #tomatogirl summer!
I paint a pretty relaxed picture of serene scenes and lazy unstructured days, huh?
It’s a lovely image, but not quite the truth. My hair is tied up in the same silk babushka, but it’s less a stylish accent than a functional step to control humidity-induced frizz. I’m walking the gardens with my coffee, but it’s at room temperature, since I made a different breakfast for three picky boys who are on summer break. My days are spent stepping around competing Lego armies, writing recipes/emails/cookbook related articles on the computer, locking myself in the office for endless (though productive!) Zoom meetings, and making sure our ice cream quota is met for the week. Life is full and busy!
By 5 o’clock, my tank is empty. Zilch. Nada. Still, instead of takeout from DoorDash, this no-stress 30-minute creamy pasta recipe is an easy lift. Endlessly adaptable and perfect for all palates, this Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes keeps me in my breezy, Tomato Girl Summer state of mind!
One Meal, Two Variations
The real star of this dish is the sauce. Creamy, rich, and satisfying. Simply toss with the pasta of your choosing and you end up with a dinner that both kids and adults will savor. To be very clear, this is not an Alfredo sauce - a traditional Italian pasta sauce made with just a lot of butter, parmigiano reggiano, and pasta water. Instead, this is a creamy, smooth, slightly garlicky delight.
While my boys love the basic version of this dish with just pasta + sauce, I prefer to add a dash of pizzaz by quickly sautéing up some Baby Bella mushrooms with butter, adding chopped up sun-dried tomatoes, and maybe a couple of diced grilled chicken thighs. You could also throw in leftover grilled vegetables for another variation, or swap the chicken out for crumbled Italian sausage. The real value of this recipe is the flexibility and speed which you can make it.
Check Out This Quick Video Before Grabbing the Recipe
Bonus - This video was filmed while we were actually making the recipe for dinner. Kid dialogue included!
Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Servings: 6
INGREDIENTS
1 large shallot, minced
3 large fresh garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons salted butter divided into 2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon (for the roux)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups 1/2 & 1/2
2.5 ounces freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
10 ounces fresh Baby Bella mushrooms or button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped
12 ounces of your preferred pasta (pappardelle pictured)
(OPTIONAL) 3 grilled chicken thighs
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
(OPTIONAL) fresh basil and hot pepper flakes for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 12-inch skillet, over medium heat.
Add the shallot and garlic and cook down for about 4-5 minutes.
Push the sautéed aromatics to one side of the pan, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter for the roux. Melt until foaming and add the 1 tablespoon of flour, stirring into the melted butter to make a roux. Continue stirring until the roux is nutty brown (1-2 minutes).
After the roux is browned, add the half & half to the pan, mixing the sauce together with the cooked aromatics. Cook over medium heat, occasionally stirring, until thickened. About 2-3 minutes.
Add about a quarter of the grated cheese to the sauce, and stir until melted. Repeat until all of the cheese is incorporated. Doing this slowly prevents the sauce from becoming 'grainy'. Remove from the heat and cover. This sauce will be a bit 'thick' as it cools - it will be thinned by your pasta water later).
In a medium sized skillet over high heat, add the mushrooms with a small pat of butter. Cook until their water has released and the mushrooms are browned. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and toss together with the mushrooms, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes until the tomatoes are heated through. Remove from the heat.
Cook the pasta according to the instructions, but do not drain (If you are making the pasta in advance, drain it but save about 1/2 cup of pasta water in a bowl for your sauce!)
To Assemble
Add the pasta directly to the sauce from the cooking water (if you've drained the pasta previously, add your strained pasta + 1/2 pasta water to the sauce instead).
As you stir the pasta and pasta water into the creamy cheese sauce over a low heat, it will bind together into the complete sauce.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms to the pasta and sauce. Stir. Season with salt and pepper as desired, and garnish with fresh parmigiano reggiano, torn basil, or hot pepper flakes, as you prefer.