Monday, December 06, 2010

Farfalle with Asparagus and Mushrooms

This is simple and has some nice fresh vegetables (mixed with Wacky Mac farfalle) and is tasty and simple. Good dinner, but probably not a make-again.


Farfalle with Asparagus and Mushrooms
Giada's Family Dinners, pg 149

An incredibly simple pasta - you can do the entire prep and cooking in the time it takes for the water to boil and the pasta to cook. You could even omit the asparagus if it's notin season and add chopped parsley for a splash of color. It's the ultimate in everyday Italian cooking.

1 pound farfalle pasta
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 cup mascarpone cheese
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until they are tender and most of their juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and saute until it is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and nutmeg. Add the farfalle and toss until the cheese coats the pasta, adding the reserved cooking liquid 1/4 cup at a time to moisten. Stir in 1/2 cup of walnuts. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the pasta in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and remaining 1/4 cup of walnuts. Serve.

Yield: 4 servings

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