How to make Easy Creamy Mushroom Noodles

A creamy mushroom sauce to serve over noodles delivers a gourmet taste.

Creamy mushroom sauce has a gourmet flavor yet is easy to make. When you pour it over noodles, you have a simple entree fit for an elegant meal. You can make this creamy dish with inexpensive white button mushrooms or cremini, or a more exotic species such as shiitake. Whichever variety you use, the delicate mushroom flavor complements your favorite mild-tasting noodles.

Things You'll Need

• Large, heavy skillet
• Sea salt
• 3 qt. (or larger) pasta or saucepan
• 8 oz. bag of noodles
• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tbsp. white wine
• 1 ½ cup whipping cream
• ½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Fill a 3 qt. pot with 2 qt. of water. Add 1 tbsp. of salt. Cover and place on the stove top. Do not turn on the heat yet.

2. Peel and finely mince the shallot. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth to remove any soil. Do not remove the stems. Slice them as thin or thick as you prefer.

3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for about five minutes until they are tender. Turn off the burner and remove the skillet. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl with a slotted spoon leaving as much oil as possible in the pan. Set the mushrooms aside and keep them warm. Return the pan to the burner and turn the heat to medium.

4. Add butter to the oil in the skillet. Add the shallots to the skillet. Saute for three minutes. Meanwhile, turn the 3 qt. pot to high heat. Continue preparing the sauce as you wait for the water to boil. Crush the garlic, add to the pan and continue to cook two minutes more.

5. Add white wine to the skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in the whipping cream and thyme. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Allow to boil for two to three minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Return the mushrooms to the pan and keep the sauce warm while you cook the noodles.

6. Watch for the water in the 3 qt. pot to come to a full, rolling boil. Add the noodles to the pot and cook to according to package directions. Drain and place the noodles in a large serving bowl.

7. Stir the sauce. Pour over the noodles. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Tips & Warnings

• Shallots grow in heads like garlic with several cloves attached together. This recipe calls for an individual clove, not the entire bulb.

• Nothing delivers the sweet, mild taste of shallots. But, if you do not have one, replace the shallot with ¼ cup of chopped red or sweet onion.

• Mushrooms do not need to be washed. Washing may alter the texture and flavor undesirably.

• Do not add salt until the end of the cooking process. Salt causes mushrooms to release their liquid and dry out while cooking.

• Do not allow the sauce to come to a hard boil because it will break down the cream.

• If you prefer your pasta al dente, cook it until it bends easily and is still slightly crunchy. This will most likely be less time than the package indicates. It will continue to cook after you remove it from the heat source.

• Pasta should never be rinsed after cooking. As with mushrooms, this destroys the flavor and texture.

References

• "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book"; 2006
• Mushroom Appreciation: Tasty Information about Edible Mushrooms