Pasta With Creamy Spinach Mushroom Ragú Food

CREAMY SPINACH AND MUSHROOM PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saute pan, add the shallots and cook over a low to medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the shallots are soft.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add the pasta, cook until the pasta is almost cooked.
• Add the butter to the pan then add half the mushrooms. Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms release their juices. As soon as those mushrooms are cooked move them to one side of the pan then add the remaining mushrooms. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper.
• Now slowly pour in the cream, let in bubble up then add about two tablespoons of water from the cooking pasta and stir well. This will help the sauce stick to the pasta. Next stir in the cheese. As soon as the cheese has melted turn off the heat.
• Now add in the spinach, add half first. Once it has wilted add the remaining spinach.Drain the pasta then add it to the sauce, tossing gently.Once the pasta is covered in the sauce add the toasted pinenuts.
• Serve immediately with a garnish of chopped parsley, some extra grated cheese and some freshly cracked black pepper.

EASY MUSHROOM RAGù RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Season with a big pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and season with another dash of salt. Add a drizzle more of olive oil and a little bit of the broth. Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften and cook down a little bit. Add the thyme, oregano, parsley, and a good dash of black pepper. Stir.
• Finally, add the red wine, tomato sauce, and the remainder of the broth. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or so covered, then uncover and allow the mushrooms to cook some more (about 15 to 20 minutes) until the mixture thickens to a ragu.
• To finish, taste and adjust salt to your liking. Stir in a bit more fresh parsley. If you like, add in the chopped hazelnuts (optional).
• Serve with your favorite pasta, polenta, or even pearl couscous as I do here. Enjoy!

SPINACH LASAGNA WITH MUSHROOM RAGU

Steps:

• Make the ragu: Soak the porcini mushrooms in 1 cup hot water until soft, about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Chop; reserve the liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes. Add the portobello and shiitake mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are soft, 5 more minutes.
• Add the porcini mushrooms; cook 2 minutes. Add the reserved porcini liquid, bring to a boil and cook until reduced slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice, 2 cups water and the bay leaves; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the parsley and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer, stirring a few times, until thick, about 1 hour, 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. (You can make the ragu up to 1 day ahead; let cool, then cover and chill. Reheat before using.)
• Make the lasagna filling: Mix the parmesan, mozzarella and asiago; set 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture aside. Combine the remaining cheese mixture in a large bowl with the ricotta, eggs, spinach, nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook as the label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water; shake off the excess water.
• Spread 1 cup of the ragu in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles, then half of the spinach mixture and 2 cups ragu. Repeat with another layer of noodles, spinach mixture and ragu. Top with the remaining noodles and ragu and sprinkle with the reserved cheese. Cover with foil, place on a baking sheet and bake 50 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 25 more minutes. Let rest before serving.

MUSHROOM RAGù PASTA

Steps:

• Add the stock, heavy cream, porcini mushroom powder (if using), 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves and 2 teaspoons salt to a large pot. Bring to a boil over high.
• While the liquid comes to a boil, heat the oil over medium-high in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet. Add the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and 2 teaspoons thyme leaves. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and tender, about 12 minutes. Add the port, and stir until the alcohol cooks off and the mixture is almost dry, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, set aside and cover to keep warm.
• Add the pasta to the boiling cream mixture, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently with tongs, until the pasta is al dente and absorbs most of the liquid, and the sauce is silky, 6 to 7 minutes. (Stir constantly during the last couple minutes to ensure the pasta cooks evenly. Add a splash of water if needed to keep the mixture glossy.) Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the pasta to bowls, top with the mushroom mixture and the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, and serve immediately.

CREAMY SPINACH & MUSHROOM PENNE

Steps:

• Cook the penne following pack instructions and put the kettle on to boil. Meanwhile, put the cashews and dried mushrooms in a medium heatproof bowl along with the bouillon powder, and pour over 200ml boiling water from the kettle. Leave to soak for 5 mins. After this time, blitz the mixture with a hand blender until smooth and creamy.
• Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the fresh mushrooms and garlic for a couple of minutes until just starting to soften. Add the spinach and continue to cook, stirring frequently until the spinach has wilted. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the pan with the mushroom mixture, season with plenty of black pepper and toss everything together well. Remove from the heat and stir through the creamy mushroom sauce, adding a drop of the reserved cooking water if needed to loosen. Serve straightaway.

PENNE WITH MUSHROOM RAGOUT AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a Pyrex measuring cup and pour on 2 cups boiling water. Let soak 30 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients. Place a strainer over a bowl, line it with cheesecloth or paper towels, and drain the mushrooms. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract all the flavorful juices. Then rinse the mushrooms, away from the bowl with the soaking liquid, until they are free of sand. Squeeze dry and set aside. If very large, chop coarsely. Measure out 1 cup of the soaking liquid and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy, nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion or shallots. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the fresh mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften and sweat, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and salt to taste, stir together for about 30 seconds, then add the reconstituted dried mushrooms and the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down and glazes the mushrooms. Add the herbs and the mushroom soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer, add salt to taste, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant. Turn off the heat, stir in some freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Fill a bowl with ice water. Add the spinach to the boiling water and blanch for 20 seconds only. Remove with a skimmer and transfer to the ice water, then drain and squeeze out water. Chop coarsely and add to the mushrooms. Reheat gently over low heat.
• Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta al dente following the timing suggestions on the package. If there is not much broth in the pan with the mushrooms and spinach, add a ladleful of pasta water. Drain the pasta, toss with the mushrooms and spinach, add Parmesan to taste, and serve at once.

CREAMY MUSHROOM PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil and butter in a medium saucepan. Fry the onion over a low heat for 10 mins or until softened and translucent.
• Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 mins over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 mins. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, reduce the liquid by half.
• Add the double cream and bring to a simmer, then add the lemon zest and parmesan. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta following pack instructions. Reserve 100ml of the pasta water. Toss the pasta in the pan with the creamy sauce and enough of the reserved water to loosen. Stir through the parsley, divide into bowls and top with extra cheese, if you like.