12.19.2009

Sun-dried Tomato, Spinach, Mushroom & Goat Cheese Pasta



Ingredients:
1 pound penne, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water
1 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, cut in julienne
1 cup shitake mushrooms, stems removed and cut in julienne slices
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups fresh *arugula, cut into thin julienne
3 ounces Redwood Hill Farm Chevre (I used crumbled goat cheese)
Salt and pepper to taste





Method:
Drain tomatoes reserving oil, cut into julienne if necessary. Add enough olive oil to the reserved oil to make 1/4 cup. In a large frying pan sauté the tomatoes, mushrooms and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly cooked, be careful not to burn the garlic. Add wine and reduce by half. Add chicken stock and cook for 10 minutes longer. Meanwhile cook the penne according to package directions for al dente. Remove the sauce from the heat and add goat cheese, mixing until well combined. Add the drained pasta and arugula and mix until well incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce seems a little dry, add some of the reserved pasta water, about 1/4 cup at a time until sauce is moist and creamy.


* Spinach can be substituted for the arugula. You can also alter the taste by substituting 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil for the 2 cups of other greens

Recipe from Redwood Hill Farm



Result: I used spinach instead of arugula and fettucine instead of penne and it was delicious!  I also always use more garlic than the recipe calls for (6 cloves this time rather than 4 and I could've used even more!)  Rashan LOVED this recipe!  It was my first time using sun dried tomatoes in a recipe.  Very easy to work with.  I didn't need the reserved pasta water though I usually like my pastas with more sauce.  I would add oregano and/or basil next time.  The pictures in order are sun dried tomatoes on the cutting board; mushrooms, tomatoes, garlic, wine in the skillet together (everybody in the pool!); then the spinach and pasta together, then the finished product!  Mmmm!

7 comments:

Adei von K said...

that looks AH.MAZE.EENG!!! I want to make that right now!!!

Rashan Jamal said...

This was delicious. I was surprised to be as full as i was since there was no meat involved. Wait!!! You aren't trying to trick me into going veggie, are you? LOL

Mrs Count said...

this looks good. it almost makes me want to get up off the couch and fix some food- almost.

Ginae said...

i am not a fan of sun dried tomatoes but this delicious looking meal makes me want to rethink that....

Jameil said...

adei... so what are you waiting for? lol

rj... lol. of course i am!! glad you liked it!

tm... lol! lazy.

ginae... really? what is it about them that you don't like?

Ginae said...

well Jam....i'm not really sure if you can believe that! lol....i just never liked the taste of them..too tomatoey (is that a word?) i don't know..see i told you i'm weird like that....i'm funny about certain textures in food as well..maybe that's part of it.

Jameil said...

i'm funny abt texture, too. mostly w/nuts in my food. in this recipe they kind of reconstitute themselves in the liquid. i'm also tomato picky so i won't begrudge you that! lol. at least you're deciding you don't like it based on experience! can't ever fault that!