Organic Mushroom Ravioli - Fresh and Fast

I have been working my butt off lately at work, and consequently my husband has been doing a lot of the cooking. So tonight, it was my turn! I bought some Rising Moon Organic Ravioli at Whole Foods last weekend and was excited to make it tonight. The kind I made was Wild Canterelle Mushroom, and I added a market-fresh mushroom-garlic-herb-parmesan topping (because I ran out of cream, and also because I didn't feel like a heavy sauce for this pasta). It really made for a very yummy (vegetarian) hodgepodge of a dinner, so I thought I would share.

Make the ravioli as directed on the package. While the pasta is cooking, sautee chopped mushrooms with minced garlic in some EVOO. Salt and pepper the mushrooms and then add a splash of sherry vinegar (from Jerez de la Frontera, preferably!). Once the mushrooms cook down, turn down the heat and set aside. Drain the pasta after 8 minutes of cooking and toss in a medium bowl with some EVOO (enough for coating).

Chop the herbs of your choice and mix in with the pasta - I used chopped oregano and parsley but basil would be superb! Mix the mushrooms in with the pasta, add about 2 tbs of Italian breadcrums, then plate your pasta. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and viola!

I think the whole meal took MAYBE 20 minutes. And it was perfect for our house of two! Enjoy :)

Easy Cheesy Alfredo

My husband and I were making fettucine alfredo the other night for dinner and realized we didn't have alfredo sauce (pre-made). But I did have some cream, basil, garlic, and a few other ingredients, so I decided to try my hand and whip something up. It turned out delicious so I thought I would share. The ingredients list is simple, the prep work is easy (and can be manipulated for your own preferences), and the result is definitely pasta-worthy.

Ingredients

2 tbs butter

2 tsp minced garlic

3/4 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. chopped basil

1/2 c. parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until garlic starts to brown (careful not to burn!). Add the cream and whisk together over high heat so the sauce starts to boil. Add basil and cook about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Note: you can increase the amount of garlic, basil, or parmesan depending on your tastes.

Pour the alfredo over your favorite pasta (I used some whole wheat and regular farfalle - it was all we had left!) and enjoy. You can add panchetta, peas, chicken - anything to make the dish yours.

I hope you decide to try this one out, maybe with a good Viognier. It's a winner in our house :)