When I picked up a package of Flour City Pasta lemon parsley mafaldine (curly-on-the-edges pasta) at Smorgasburg, the lovely gentleman behind the counter recommended making it with mushrooms, shallots and peas, and said he’d include a recipe. Alas, the recipe card I found in the package was for something including sundried tomatoes, which I’m not a fan of (all that oil and wrinkling…shudder), so I just went ahead and made up my own. Which wasn’t too difficult, seeing as it included mushrooms, shallots, peas…and that’s pretty much it.
Since the preparation here is so simple, the key is to use great ingredients like fresh, organic pastas and gorgeous vegetables (yet another big thumbs-up to Fairway, Iloveyouneverchange). And don’t dress it too heavily; the goal is to let the pasta and vegetables shine.
LEMON PARSLEY MAFALDINE w/ MUSHROOMS, SHALLOTS & PEAS (serves 2)
What you need:
1 package lemon parsley mafaldine (or pasta of choice)
3-4 small shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups mixed chopped mushrooms (I used a blend of baby bella, shitaake and portobello)
1 cup baby peas
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Lemon juice
Freshly grated parmigiana (optional)
What you do:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted boiling water.
2. While pasta is cooking, saute shallots in olive oil until just translucent.
3. Add the garlic and mushrooms to the shallots and cook, stirring constantly, until mushrooms are tender.
4. Steam your peas (not too much; you want them to retain some bite).
5. When the pasta is cooked, toss together the pasta, mushroom/shallot mixture, and peas in a large bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, a squeeze of lemon juice, and some parmigiana, if desired. You might also want to throw over a handful of fresh chopped parsley, if you have it on hand.
Serving suggestion: Garlic bread & fresh summer corn.
