Break Out The Shrooms. ...No, Not Those.The Meatless Ragu That's a Great Start To A New Year.

   This all started while making a vegetarian chili. I'd seen a great recipe for a quick veg chili in the New York Times and thought that would be perfect for a quick weekday workday lunch or dinner. I was planning on grinding and using the mushrooms for a chili con carne minus the carne sort of thing but I got so involved making a cornbread drop biscuit topping for the chili and I forgot. Yes, I forgot and then it was oh damn!!!!! I opened the fridge door and there were mushrooms staring at me. That's when I thought I'd use them the next day in a different recipe which is exactly what I did.

Here's What You Need:

1 box of pasta (any shape)
2 16 oz cans of chopped tomatoes
Fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp of dried oregano  or fresh if you have it.
1/4 cup of white wine
1 lb of crimini mushrooms
1 onion
A pinch of red pepper flakes
2 Tbs tomato paste
3 Tbs of olive oil.
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated cheese to taste

Here's What To Do:

Put a pot of lightly salted water on to boil for the pasta.
Place the crimini mushrooms in a food processor a bit at a time and pulse them until they resemble  coarse hamburger texture.
Finely chop the onion.
In a large skillet heat the olive oil
When the oil is hot add in the chopped onion and a pinch of red pepper and some chopped basil and the oregano.
When the onion is translucent  and everything is aromatic, add in you chopped mushroom "hamburger."
Saute it lightly until it darkens a bit.
Now add in the chopped tomatoes and the white wine.
Raise the heat till the tomato mixture starts to simmer, and then let it cook like that for about 20 minutes, until the chopped tomatoes start to break down, and the wine starts to evaporate.

When the sauce has thickened, add in your tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste.
Put your pasta into the water you have boiled and cook it until it's al dente.
When the pasta has cooked, drain it and save the pasta cooking water.
Put the pasta into the mushroom ragu and add in 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Stir everything together and cook until the water has absorbed.
Dish it up and top with some grated cheese.

Meanwhile on the doggo front we are settling in with our new adoptee, Tyrion. Since he is 3 years old and used to that name we're not going to change it. Also, we're #GOT fans so....what can I say. He's definitely making himself at home.

He is not supposed to be on that blanket btw but try telling him that.
he sleeps like a typical Husky.

We bought him another bed for the family room downstairs.

...but he still likes that couch.

So between writing and getting used to the new family member there haven't been as many recipes published. I've been cooking, just not publishing and so now that things are settling down look for more recipes, and follow along on Twitter @kathygori 

It's Not All About The Spiced Latte! Tuscan Pumpkin Mushroom Pasta And It's Pumpkin Spice Free.

   I do love pumpkin, always have, always will. However, I draw the line at all the pumpkin spiced junk that seems to find its' way to the store shelves and our tables during this season. I do confess that a month ago I bought a bag of Pumpkin Spiced Popcorn, which was the culinary equivalent of sticking a fork into an electrical socket just to see what happens. I might as well have taken a toaster into the tub with me. The store didn't even comment when I brought it back. My guess is they have a lot of practice.
   
   Savory pumpkin  though, which is often found in Indian and Italian cuisine, is another matter all together. That stuff is delicious! Which is why I served it at a dinner party last night for some gluten free vegetarian friends. This dish is extremely easy to make and cooks up in no time. Seriously. Take it from someone who spends days prepping an Indian feast, this is fast... and cheap. If you've got a box of pasta and a can of pumpkin  you can do this.

Pumpkin Pasta With Mushrooms

Here's What You Need

1 1/2 pounds of pasta
2  shallots finely minced
8 Tbs of pumpkin puree
1/2 pound King Oyster Mushrooms...or actually any mushroom.

10 Tbs of butter
10 sage leaves, chopped
1 cup of soft ricotta  (I make my own get the recipe here)

 One pomegranate ( learn how to prep one here )

Here's What To Do:

 

 Thinly slice the mushrooms and set them aside, and thinly slice the sage leaves.

 In a skillet melt 10 tbs of butter add in the thinly sliced shallots.

Saute until they are translucent.
Now add in the thinly sliced sage leaves and oyster mushrooms.

Saute until the mushrooms are soft.
Add in 10 Tbs of plain pumpkin puree.

Mix it with the melted butter until you have a smooth pumpkin butter.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water.
When the pasta is done drain it, saving part of the pasta cooking water.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet of sauce.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Reheat the sauce until it coats the pasta and is nice and creamy.

To serve, place the pasta in individual bowls.
Top with a dollop of soft ricotta, a scattering of pomegranate arils  and some chopped pistachios.

This is a simple yet elegant way to use canned pumpkin, no weird pumpkin spices involved. It's one of my favorite ways to serve pasta, especially as a company entree.

Okay, so that's the recipe that google ate. More to come as I am back in the kitchen cooking and writing again now that we have a new adopted family member.

Coming up next, more winter delights. Follow along on Twitter  @kathygori

Whoops!!!!

Evidently, the google fairy ate the entire recipe I thought had been published to the blog about Tuscan Pumpkin Pasta...soooo I'm re-doing it and it will be up in the next day or so. I have NO IDEA what happened there!