Day 163: Herb & Mushroom Pasta

I’ve forgotten about this recipe, which my friend Rindy inspired with something she made years ago. I remembered when I tasted the mixed mushrooms at Whole Foods and then saw the price ($19/lb for mushrooms!), and was forced to rethink my initial plan. The infused olive oil has such a great flavor that you don’t need much of it to make a large amount of pasta, though you can increase the amount if you’re not a weight worrier, like myself. I like using large pasta for this, to differentiate between sizes of mushrooms and pasta.

Herb & Mushroom Pasta
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T butter
1 c. chopped mixed mushrooms, preferably cremini or portabello, sliced
1 lb penne or rotini pasta
2 T Italian parsley, minced
2 T oregano, minced
2 T basil, minced
salt & pepper

In a small pan over the lowest heat setting, warm the olive oil together with half of the garlic and herbs. Boil pasta according to package directions until al dente. While the pasta cooks, melt butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and the remaining garlic. Cook until golden brown. When the pasta is done, drain it really well, and set in a large bowl. Toss in the sautéed mushrooms and then the herbed olive oil mixture. Season with salt and pepper. If you’d like, grated Parmesan goes well over the top of this. Serves 6 to 8.