EASY AND HEALTHY RECIPES, TIPS FOR HEALTHY LIVING, FOOD REVIEWS, ETC

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Garlic Porcini Mushroom Pasta

Sometime ago, I received dried porcini mushrooms from MarxFoods and tried it with bow tie pasta.  I like bow tie pasta for it's pretty shape and texture when cooked al dente.  Porcini mushroom is often used in risotto and soups but I prefer it sauteed in butter, garlic and shallots then added to pasta.  It's meaty, nutty flavor blends well with these ingredients. For me lemon juice and fresh cilantro adds a brightness to the dish but if you are partial to parsley, you can use that too. So, here is my jazzed up version of olive oil-garlic pasta. If you opt to add cream or cheese, make sure you adjust your seasonings.

1 Tbsp canola oil
2 Tbsp salted butter
1 Tbsp minced garlic
¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in warm water, strained, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro (parsley or another herb, if you prefer)
a squeeze of lemon (depends on how acidic you want it)
salt and pepper to taste
1- 2 cups cooked bow tie pasta

Heat the canola oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook till golden brown.  Add the mushrooms, the water it was soaked in and shallots. Cook about 5 minutes then add the cilantro and turn off heat.  Squeeze some lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  Mix in cooked bow tie pasta and serve. Grated cheese on top is delicious too.

Did you know?
1. Mushrooms are rich in dietary fiber, antioxidant, vitamins and minerals.

2. All parts of the cilantro plant can be used for cooking. The fresh leaves are used in soups and are indispensable in salsa. The roots have an intense flavor and are used in Thai cuisine.The dry seeds of cilantro are known as coriander seeds.

3. Although I love cilantro in my food, some people dislike its taste.  Cilantro is very popular in American Southwest cuisine but not in Europe and in some part of Asia.  Some people seem to detect a "soapy" flavor or an faint odor, similar to "bedbugs".  What do you think?  Some say there is a genetic basis for this perception, but there is no firm evidence. In my family, my son and hubby don't care for cilantro.  Do you use cilantro in your dishes?  What flavors goes well it?

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

A wonderful pasta dish! Excellent with porcini mushrooms and I like the addition of cilantro!

Carolyn Jung said...

Dried porcini are such a godsend. I always have some in my pantry. They just lend such a fabulous deep, rich, woodsy flavor to any dish.

tasteofbeirut said...

Yumm! I will remember your dish next time I am making pasta; looks so good!

Juliana said...

Oh! Love the simplicity of this pasta...and I love everything that has cilantro...yummie!

MaryMoh said...

Looks simple and delicious. Love the colour...fresh.

Mary Bergfeld said...

What a lovely pasta dish. When simple meets delicious you have a sure winner on your hands. This sounds wonderful. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Kathleen said...

This pasta looks amazing! I use cilantro in a lot of things. I absolutely love it. I heard its really good for you as well.

Mimi said...

Simple and delicious, my kind of meal.
Mimi

Anna said...

Lovely pasta, very simple, but very yummy. Would be nice for a picnic.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Yum- your Porcini Mushroom Pasta looks incredible... I love mushrooms --and I like cilantro... SO---this one sounds great.. Thanks!!!!

Thanks also for visiting my blog. Come back anytime.
Hugs,
Betsy

Heather S-G said...

This sounds amazing...love porcini! And LOVE cilantro! Love it w/ any Mexican flavors...tomato, lime, avocado, chile, onion, garlic, etc and also w/ Asian flavors like ginger, lemongrass, soy, peanut...oh man, off to make a taco or somethin' ;)

La Bella Cooks said...

Oh this looks and sounds delicious. I am a huge mushroom fan and I know this would be right up my alley. Thanks for visiting my blog and taking the time to leave a comment. I look forward to visiting yours more!

~~louise~~ said...

First time here...Looks like I'm just in time to share the perfect meal after a long hard day out in the garden. You can never grow tired of that earthy taste; outside or in.

Thanks so much for sharing. I had a lovely visit:) Bookmarked!!!

FOODESSA said...

Your jazzed up bowties sound very appetizing. I absolutely enjoy using the very aromatic porcinis...especially in my risotto;o) The added educational info was much appreciated too.
BTW...it was very nice of you to have paid me a small visit. Looking forward to exchanging recipes and other future posts.
Thanks for sharing and flavourful wishes, Claudia

Rico said...

looks super light and delicious with fresh flavours a great combo..thanks for sharing...Rico

Roxan said...

Garlic and mushrooms, these are two of my favorite things!

TasteHongKong said...

Dried mushroom is always a versatile ingredient for cooking. While I also love to cook it with garlic, sometimes I do add some ginger.

Dewi said...

YOur pasta sounds so wonderful. Porcini is definitely my favorite mushroom.

Sook said...

Oh this pasta looks perfect! i love sauceless pasta like this.

Laurie said...

This looks so fresh. I happen to have some dried porcini.. thanks for the dinner idea, my family will love this!

Lisa said...

This looks like a fantastic pasta dish! Love porcini mushrooms.