Penne With Mushroom Pesto Recipes

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the penne pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the garlic and mushrooms until mushrooms are tender. Season with salt and pepper, and mix in the butter.
• In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley to serve.

Steps:

• In a 6-quart kettle bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil for pasta.
• Make pesto:
• In a 10- to 12-inch non-stick skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté mushrooms with Worcestershire sauce, Sherry, and salt and pepper to taste, stirring, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
• In a food processor purée mushroom mixture with garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Add parsley and blend until parsley is chopped fine. Pesto keeps, surface covered with plastic wrap, chilled, 1 week.
• Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain pasta.
• In a large bowl whisk together pesto and 2/3 cup reserved hot cooking water. Add pasta and toss well, thinning pesto, if necessary, with remaining reserved cooking water.

Steps:

• Meanwhile, pluck the basil leaves from the stems (you should have about 2 cups leaves). Wash the leaves in a large bowl of cold water and dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels. Smash and peel the garlic.
• Put the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. With the processor running, gradually add the olive oil and process until the pesto is smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl and stir in the cheese. Season with the salt and some pepper.
• Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat and salt it generously. Add the penne and boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and save about 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the bowl. Use tongs and toss with enough of the cooking water so the pesto coats the pasta evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
• Upgrades: a. Make the pesto creamy by adding 1/4 cup ricotta cheese when processing the basil, garlic, and pine nuts. This is great with tortellini or ravioli. b. Top dressed pesto pasta with 1/2 pound diced large or halved small fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), 3 medium tomatoes cut in large chunks, and 1/2 cup pitted black olives, (we like kalamata for this), roughly chopped. c. Add cooked 1 to 2 cups chicken or shrimp.
• Twists on Pesto: In place of basil, try the following combination: 1 cup parsley, 1 cup fresh spinach leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves. Substitute walnuts for the pine nuts

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• At the same time, melt butter in a stockpot over medium-low heat. Add shallots; stir and cook for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle mushrooms with flour and stir to coat. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle some rosemary and thyme into your hand and crush herbs to release the oil. Add them to the pot on top of the mushrooms and stir. Add a grind of salt and pepper. Stir and taste.
• Pour heavy cream into the simmering pot and stir to combine. Let it cook and bubble up for a few moments, then mix in cream cheese and stir until cream cheese has melted. Taste. Remove pot from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese if the mixture needs a little more salt.
• Stir sauce again and add pasta. Stir. Turn out mixture into a large, wide-rimmed bowl. Sprinkle parsley on top. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir mushrooms and shallot in melted butter until the mushrooms are lightly browned and soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
• Transfer cooled mushroom mixture to a blender; add pine nuts, olive oil, vegetable broth, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse blender a few times before blending until mixture is finely ground, scraping down the sides of the pitcher with a spatula as needed; scrape into a mixing bowl. Stir Parmesan cheese through the blended mixture.