PEEPING MUSHROOM PASTA

It's an Earthy Classic that is very, very yummy. :) Certainly a dish for those looking for something easy but unique.

There is no doubt about it that a winning combination is certainly pairing Earth Mushroom's with a Creamy Sauce.

It's often said that the Peeping Mushroom Pasta is a fun alternative to a classic pasta bake, using exotic Asian Mushrooms and lots of tasty bubbling Cheese.

This is often found on recipe sights, but this came to us from Bill in South Dakota. Thanks Bill.

So here we go:

INGREDIENTS:

- 30g Butter, or 2 tbsp.

- 30 g plain flour, or 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.

- 500ml lukewarm milk, or 2 cups

- 1/4 an onion, peeled.

- 1 whole clove.

- 1 bay leaf.

- 250g (9oz) rigatoni pasta.

- Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg.

- Sea salt and black pepper.

- 2 tbsp. grainy mustard.

- 100g (3-1/2ox) Gruere, Parmesan or other mature hard cheese, grated.

- 170g (6oz) mixed exotic mushrooms (e.g. shimeji, enoki), trimmed and torn into single mushrooms.

- Finely chopped fresh parsley, to serve.

HOW TO PREPARE:

Melt the butter in a medium frypan over medium heat. Add the flour and mix to form a paste, cooking it for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 2 minutes, then gradually add the milk, whisking continuously.

Place the pan back over medium heat; add the onion, clove, and bay leaf; and simmer gently for 10 minutes, whisking frequently. If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in a little more milk 1 tbsp at a time until saucy.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan)/350°F.

Bring a stockpot of salted water to a boil. Put the pasta in the water and cook for 2 minutes less than the package instructions say.

Finish the sauce by removing the onion, clove, and bay leaf, then adding the nutmeg and seasoning with salt and white pepper. Stir in the mustard and half the cheese.

Drain the pasta and arrange the rigatoni pieces upright tightly in four ovenproof dishes; they will look a bit like honeycomb. Pour the sauce over the pasta. Tap the base of the baking dishes to allow the sauce to get between the holes, spooning more on if necessary. Place the mushroom stalks into the rigatoni holes, leaving the caps poking out. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Serve with a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley on top.

BON APPETIT

SERVES: 4

PREPARATION TIME: 30 MINUTES

COOKING TIME: 40 MINUTES

If you have a recipe you like to share. Be like Bill. Send it to us by going to our contact page and shooting us an email.

dewchilli.com