Pasta with Mushroom Cream Sauce

When the monsoon hits Goa, nature seems to awake with a sigh of relief: Finally the dry, hot months have gone and water flows from the sky in abundance. All plants respond enthusiastically to this change. Especially mushrooms appreciate the humid climate.

My son Valentino – often mentioned in my quest for healthy living – in general does not like vegetable. There are very few varieties I can make him eat. One year ago however, he discovered his love for mushrooms. Since then I try to cook mushrooms at least once a week. There are two recipes I prepare a lot: Marinated mushrooms nand Mushroom-Cream-Sauce for Pasta.

This creamy sauce is one of the classics of Italian cooking. Variations of it you can eat all over Italy using all kinds of mushrooms – the famous porcini and other European varieties. Normally I take white button mushrooms for this recipe, which are available in the market all year round.

Feel free to use whatever kind of mushroom you fancy: There are some local varieties in Goa which look quite interesting. Sometimes I make this sauce with dried mushrooms: Before cooking them, I give them a good boil in some salt water, and then I cut them into pieces and use them like normal mushrooms.

One thing however you cannot alter in this recipe: You need cream, butter and olive oil. The sufficient amount of healthy fats makes this sauce as smooth as silk. If you want, you can use more cream and butter; just don’t put less – with this recipe you have to forget counting calories.

Mushroom-Cream-Sauce – as smooth as silk

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 1 packet pasta (500 grams)
• 2 packets mushrooms (200 grams each)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 packet (0.2 liter) cream
• 1 glass milk
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour

Method:

Take the butter from the fridge to soften it and then start cleaning the mushrooms. I usually pull away the skin with a sharp knife to be sure they are really clean. Sometimes it is enough to just wash them. Don’t soak them in water, just rinse them. If you leave them in water, they will absorb it and turn soggy. Cut them at the last possible moment before cooking them. They tend to discolor like potatoes.

Clean the onions and the garlic and chop them finely. Put the olive oil into a big pan and heat it. Fry the onions for at least 5 minutes. They should turn soft and glassy. While the onions are frying, cut your mushrooms. Add the smashed garlic and the sliced mushrooms to the onions and stir everything well. Let the mushrooms cook until they have given out almost all their water.

During this time, put the butter into a cup and combine it with the flour. You should obtain a smooth cream. Once the mushrooms have cooked, pour the cream and the milk into the pan. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and stir the flour-butter-mix into the sauce vigorously. There should be no lumps. Let the sauce boil for another 3 minutes, salt and pepper according to taste.

Boil the pasta according to the instructions. Your Mushroom-Sauce should have a creamy consistency without being too thick so it can coat the pasta easily. If it has turned out too thick, just add some spoonfuls of the saltwater from the pasta and stir well.

Drain the pasta, mix it immediately with the sauce and serve with plenty of grated Parmigiano or Grana cheese.