Mushroom Rigatoni (Easy, Creamy and Vegetarian!)
This easy vegetarian mushroom pasta is such a treat! The creamy lemony tomato sauce is a delicious backdrop for the meaty mushrooms. Fried in smoky seasonings and herbs, these mushrooms have an amazing flavor reminiscent of Italian sausage, giving the dish so much texture and flavor.
Ingredients
- olive oil or butter, for cooking
- 9 oz (250 g) dried rigatoni pasta
- 10.5 oz (300 g) mushrooms, chopped into small pieces
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1.5 teaspoons dried sage
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ lemon, zest and juice
- ½ bunch fresh basil, chopped
- ½ cup (120 ml) double (heavy) cream
- ½ cup (50 g) pecorino, parmesan or Italian hard cheese, grated
Instructions
- First, cook the mushrooms. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large saute pan and add the mushrooms. Saute, mixing frequently, until most of the juices have evaporated from the pan but they're still on the juicier side and not completely shrunk down yet.10.5 oz mushrooms
- Add the spices in (with a little extra oil if the pan feels dry at this point) and continue to saute until the mushrooms are well browned and starting to crisp up a little. At this point, remove from the heat and set aside.1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1.5 teaspoons dried sage, 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- Set the rigatoni boiling according to package instructions.(You can do this towards the end of the mushroom cooking time if you wish, to make this come together more quickly and avoid the mushrooms sitting out for too long, depending on your tolerance for multi-tasking!)9 oz dried rigatoni pasta
- While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook the shallots until soft. Add the garlic and mix through, then add the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste for a few minutes until it's darkening in color and very rich and oily.2 shallots, 3 cloves garlic, 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- Now add the lemon zest to the pan and give it a quick stir. Grab 1/2 a cup (120ml) of pasta cooking water out of the pan that the rigatoni is cooking in and whisk it through the sauce until it's smooth.1/2 lemon
- Add the cheese and cream, stir through until the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat, then mix the basil and lemon juice through. Cover and set aside until the pasta is cooked.1/2 bunch fresh basil, 1/2 cup double (heavy) cream, 1/2 cup pecorino, parmesan or Italian hard cheese, 1/2 lemon
- Put it all together! Once the rigatoni is cooked al dente, drain it (but first reserve a little bit of cooking water - you might need more) and mix it through the sauce. Add the mushrooms and mix through. Assess the texture - if the sauce is too thick you can add some more pasta cooking water as needed to loosen it up.
- Serve, with additional cheese for topping and lemon wedges for squeezing if you wish.
Notes
Servings: You can get 2 adult and 2 child or leftover lunch portions out of this, but for 4 hungry adults you will want to add some side dishes.
Calories: 556kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 295mg, Potassium: 656mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 974IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 190mg, Iron: 2mg