Tagliatelle with Wild Mushrooms, Spinach, and Goat Cheese
My colleague Linda Wolpert, who takes many of The Scramble’s food photos, shared this recipe that her vegetarian family loves. I think mushrooms make a healthy and satisfying meat substitute because they have a chewy, meaty texture and earthy flavor. If your kids pick out the mushrooms, you can scoop the extra goodness on top of your serving, but you could be surprised - Scramble recipe tester Kathryn Howell Dalton said her son “Arthur ate a WHOLE MUSHROOM for the first time ever and declared it very good! I am beside myself.”
Ingredients
- 16 oz. tagliatelle or linguine
- 1/4 cup goat cheese softened, or use cream cheese
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 8 - 10 oz. fresh wild mushrooms or use cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 sweet yellow onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla halved and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced, about 2 tsp.
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 6 oz. baby spinach coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions in salted water until it is al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta’s cooking water. (Remove the goat cheese from the refrigerator to let it soften, if you haven’t already.)
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and butter. When the butter is bubbling, add the mushrooms and onions and sauté them for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and dark.
- Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and thyme and cook for 3 – 5 more minutes, stirring often so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Add the goat cheese and stir until melted, then add the spinach and 1/4 cup of the pasta’s water, cover and steam the spinach for 1 – 2 minutes until it is just wilted.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet, and stir in a little more of the cooking water if it seems too dry, tossing well. Serve it immediately.
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Cook the pasta and store tossed with a little oil to prevent sticking, slice the mushrooms and the onion, peel the garlic, combine the spices, chop the spinach, take the goat cheese out of the refrigerator to soften (only if within 2 hours of dinner prep).
Scramble Flavor Booster: Serve the pasta with freshly ground black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.
Tip: Pepper, likely a staple on your spice rack, is a wonderful alternative for anyone looking to cut some salt from his or her diet. It doesn't contain any sodium, but enhances the flavor of food in a similar way. Additionally, pepper contains capsaicin, the compound that gives it heat. Capsaicin may have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties and may increase your metabolism.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 259, Total Fat: 5g, 8%; Saturated Fat: 2g, 8.5%; Cholesterol: 9mg, 3%; Sodium: 182mg, 7.5%; Total Carbohydrate: 4g, 1%; Dietary Fiber: 3g, 4.5%; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 3g
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