Recipe
modified by Gretchen Wilson – April 2010
For a
commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.
Recipe originally published on Allrecipes.com – The Daily Dish newsletter on Monday, March 23, 2009.
I love
pasta and I’m always on the lookout for a new dish with a cream sauce that
isn’t too heavy. This recipe found its
way into my inbox via “The Daily Dish” newsletter at Allrecipes.com. This dish has everything I love – creamy
sauce that doesn’t weigh down the pasta, salty pancetta to balance out the
cream and mushrooms. I can’t get enough
mushrooms.
Picture published with recipe:
|
My finished product:
 |
I
always stand by my “don’t judge a recipe by the published picture” rule. Is that mushed-up poop with that penne?
Assessment:
Mess: Small
Start-to-Finish
Time: Under an hour
Prep
Work: Minimal and make your life easier by buying pre-sliced mushrooms &
pre-minced garlic
Ease
of Recipe: Easy to make with no difficult techniques or ingredients
Overall: Excellent recipe – I would absolutely make
this again
Recipe Information:
PREP
TIME 15 Min
COOK
TIME 20 Min
READY
IN 35 Min
Servings
Per Recipe: 4
Amount
Per Serving
·
Calories: 549
·
Total Fat: 24.3g
·
Cholesterol: 67mg
·
Sodium: 306mg
·
Total Carbs: 66.7g
·
Dietary Fiber: 3.8g
·
Protein: 18.9g
It is
four fairly large servings, so you could probably get six servings if you
served with a large salad and crusty bread.
I cut calories by using wheat pasta and as little cheese as possible.
Ingredients
Changes
denoted by red text
1
package (12 ounce) wheat penne pasta
1
package (3 ounce) pancetta bacon, diced
2
tablespoons butter
1
package (10 ounce) sliced white mushrooms
1
tablespoon minced garlic
½ cup
heavy cream
¼ teaspoon
Italian seasoning
¼ cup shredded Parmesan
cheese, or to taste
Ingredient
Notes:
Wheat Penne Pasta
- In the event you can’t find penne (pronounced PEH-neh), good substitutes are mostaccioli, ziti or rigatoni.
- Many an Italian has told me that wheat pasta is blasphemy. Personally? I can’t tell the difference. However, the original recipe does call for traditional pasta, so feel free to use it in the event (a) you can’t find wheat penne or (b) you can’t bring yourself to eat the wheat.
Pancetta
- Got a fancy cheese section in your deli/vegetable area of your grocery store? Check for it there.
- If you have a problem finding pancetta (pronounced pan-SHEH-tuh), you can always use prosciutto (pruh-SHOO-toh), an Italian ham which is a little easier to find & is usually in the deli case for slicing. In a pinch, you can use un-smoked lean bacon too, but definitely make the effort to find either the pancetta or prosciutto.
- Save yourself some time & look for pre-sliced mushrooms. I LOVE mushrooms, but to slice them is tedious.
- I used white mushrooms, since that was what was pre-sliced. You probably could get away with baby portabellas too, but I’d stay away from shitake or any mushroom that is strong. It could easily overpower the dish.
Garlic – same with the
garlic. Since it isn’t the focus of the dish,
the pre-minced you find in the vegetable section of your grocery store works
fine.
Italian Seasoning – if you don’t
have it in your pantry & don’t feel like buying some (spices are some of
the most expensive items in the store) use a pinch each of oregano, basil and
parsley. You won’t know the difference.
Shredded Parmesan
Cheese – the
recipe called for grated, which has a significantly different texture. I had some left over shredded and decided to
use that up on my first bowl. The
difference? I used less cheese (better
for you) and had a light sauce instead of an overly creamy one.
One
thing you’ll probably notice that I left the heavy cream instead of going with
2% or skim milk. The reasons are:
- It is ½ cup so it isn’t a large amount.
- This sauce depends on the thickness of the cream to keep it from being watery. Unlike a cream sauce that uses a thickening agent (flour or cornstarch) or cheese to make it thicker for pasta.
Equipment Needed
Pasta
pot or large pot
Colander
Large
skillet
Paper
towel
Plate
(for draining the pancetta)
Large
spoons
Also,
you’ll need someplace to pour the pancetta grease after you’ve finished cooking
it.
Directions:
1)
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. The current school of thought is that salting the water does
not affect the sodium content of the dish & improves the flavor of the
pasta. I usually do not salt my pasta
water & feel there is plenty of flavor in my dishes, but it is a personal
preference.
2)
Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and set
aside.
3)
Meanwhile, cook pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat until
browned but not crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and set
aside. While cooking the pancetta, be patient &
keep it over medium heat. It is tempting
to turn up the heat, but it isn’t as “sturdy” as regular bacon & can burn
easily.
4)
Pour pancetta grease out of the skillet, and add butter.
5)
Increase heat to medium-high and stir in sliced mushrooms. Cook and stir until the mushrooms have softened
and released their liquid. The mushrooms will
take on a shriveled look and the liquid released will start to foam a
little. That is when you’ll know they
are done.
6)
Add the minced garlic, and cook 2 more minutes. Keep your eye on the garlic & keep stirring it! It too can burn easily, especially on
medium-high heat. When you can smell it
& it begins to turn golden-brown, it is done.
7)
Reduce heat to medium-low, and then stir in cream and Italian seasoning.
Since the garlic can burn easily, it might be a good idea to
mix the Italian seasoning in with the cream before adding the garlic to the
pan. That way you can immediately turn
down the heat & add the cream/seasoning mix. Simmer until the sauce has
thickened slightly.
8)
To serve, toss the cooked penne with the sauce, and sprinkle with
Parmesan cheese.
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