Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pasta
Mushroom and goat cheese pasta is a flavorful pasta dish with fresh herbs, garlic, white wine, and mushrooms in a creamy goat cheese sauce. This meatless dish is sure to satisfy any carnivore! Ingredients Cremini mushrooms, also called baby bellas, meaning baby portobello mushrooms, are firmer than white button mushrooms and have a more earthy flavor, which makes them perfect for this dish! Fresh herbs to brighten up the flavor include: parsley, thyme, rosemary, and garlic which all pair nicely with the mushrooms. The creamy sauce is made from goat cheese, white wine, and chicken broth. Goat cheese is also called chevre, which is French for goat. Goat cheese is a soft cheese made from goat’s milk and adds a creamy texture and a sharp, tangy flavor to the sauce. Artzy Foodie Tip: Goat cheese has a strong flavor, for a milder flavor substitute ricotta cheese, cream cheese, or fromage blanc. Rotini noodles, which are 2 inch lengths of corkscrew shaped pasta, are great for holding on to the sauce. Artzy Foodie Tip: Any pasta with ridges will hold on to the sauce. Penne, rigatoni, or farfalle shaped pastas would be great substitutes. CLEANING THE MUSHROOMS Because mushrooms are porous, you don’t want to rinse them under the sink to get them clean. They are like little sponges and will soak up the water, and then water down whatever dish you are making with them. Mushrooms are grown in sterile soil, so wiping them with a damp paper cloth will suffice. How to make mushroom and goat cheese pasta Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a sautee pan over medium heat, add 4ounces sliced mushrooms, a handful of the chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, and rosemary), and 1 clove minced garlic and cook about 3-5 minutes, until tender. Once most of the butter has cooked out, add 2 Tbsp of white wine to the pan and cook another 5 minutes to cook out the alcohol. While the mushrooms are cooking, boil your rotini noodles according to package directions and drain. In a separate sauce pan, over medium heat combine 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp white wine, 1 cup chicken broth, and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add another handful of the chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, and rosemary), 4 ounces of goat cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and continue simmering until the sauce is creamy and thickened. Once the sauce has thickened, add the mushrooms and rotini noodles and mix together. Serve in a bowl, garnish with more fresh herbs and little dollops of goat cheese. You’ll never miss the meat with this hearty mushroom and goat cheese pasta dish! However, if you’re like my husband and you do miss the meat, add some diced grilled or rotisserie chicken. Other recipes you might like Chicken and Rice with Herbed Truffle Butter Guatemalan Stew Tuscan Chicken Subscribe to Artzy Foodie to get all the latest tasty goodness straight to your inbox! And, be sure to stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates! A flavorful, meatless pasta dish with fresh herbs, garlic, white wine, and mushrooms in a creamy goat cheese sauce!