Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Spring Vegetables

April 11, 2024 by Leave a Comment

springtime pasta

This creamy mushroom pasta is packed with spring vegetables and those chunky meaty mushrooms make it so cozy and delicious.

As far as mushrooms go feel free to chose your favorites, you can do all of one kind or a mix of a few different ones. Here I used a chef’s sampler of wild mushrooms that I bought at Costco.

spring vegetables

Fresh asparagus is in abundance right now and it’s the perfect addition along with fresh or frozen peas.

mushroom mixture

Sautéed together with shallots, garlic, some white wine and heavy cream which creates a rich and velvety cream sauce.

creamy mushroom mix

Oh and don’t forget to add in a healthy measure of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano to enhance the sauce even more!

spring veggies with pasta

Pick any pasta shape you like for this, it all works, although I wouldn’t do any small or tiny shape pasta.

pasta with peas

This spring pasta dish would be great for a weeknight meal or even a special occasion, especially if you add in some of those “fancy ” mushrooms.

Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Spring Vegetables
 
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a meaty mushroom pasta dish loaded with spring vegetables.
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Ingredients
  • 12 oz. of dry pasta, a shape of your choice
  • 1 lb. of mushrooms, either a mix of a few or one kind, use your favorite, sliced
  • 1 bunch of fresh asparagus cut into 1 inch slices
  • 1 heaping cup of fresh or frozen peas
  • 2 shallots, finely diced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • splash of white wine
  • 1 cup of heavy cream
  • 1 half a stick of butter
  • 1 cup of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
  1. In a large wide skillet melt the butter and add in the shallots, garlic and mushrooms, saute til wilted and mushrooms are cooked down.
  2. Note:
  3. Now if your skillet isn't big enough it's ok to saute the mushrooms and peas and asparagus one at a time, then put them altogether after they shrink down a bit and add your splash of white wine and let it cook a little bit.
  4. When vegetables are cooked down put your water on for the pasta.
  5. On a very low heat pour your heavy cream into the vegetable mix, stirring til it thickens, then shut off the heat and add in the grated cheese.
  6. Toss all that goodness into your cooked pasta and adjust with salt, pepper and more cheese if you like!
  7. Enjoy

 

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Scallop Risotto with Spring Vegetables

May 17, 2019 by Leave a Comment

scallop risotto

Many people are nervous about making risotto but I’m here to say don’t be! Making risotto is super easy, it just requires your constant attention and a little bit of time.

This scallop risotto is great for springtime entertaining, it’s filled with tender bay scallops, sweet peas, zucchini and the brightness of lemon, it’s elegant and easy to make.

risotto ingredients

When I make risotto I like to have all my ingredients set out, prepped and ready to go, it makes the flow of things go much faster.

making risotto

The scallops are cooked on one side only then, they don’t take long at all, then folded into and finished off in the warm risotto, of course you can substitute any other seafood you like such as shrimp if scallops aren’t your thing.

Bay scallops are the ones used here, they’re smaller and easy to find. No need to use the larger more expensive sea scallops in this dish. The bay scallops are perfect for this risotto, they’re sweet, buttery and delicate and bite size  and with the hint of lemon zest throughout it’s flavor perfection!

scallop risotto

Fold the scallops gently into the cooked risotto reserving some for garnish on top.

scallop risotto

If you haven’t made risotto yet I encourage you to do so, especially this scallop risotto with spring vegetables, I promise you’ll be in love with every decadent bite!

Follow me on Instagram to see what else I’m cooking up during the week.

Scallop Risotto with Spring Vegetables
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 lb. bay scallops, patted dry
  • 1¼ cups short grain arborio rice
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 2 medium zucchini, small diced and precooked in sauté pan with olive oil until golden ( may substitute chopped asparagus)
  • 1 cup peas, frozen or fresh
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1¼ cups shredded Parmigiano Reggiano
  • ¾ cup white wine
  • handful of chopped parsley
  • butter and olive oil
  • zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. Have all your ingredients ready to go.
  2. Heat all the stock in a separate pan.
  3. Use a heavy bottomed pan to make and stir the risotto in so it doesn't burn.
  4. Add a knob of butter and drizzle olive oil at the bottom of the pan on medium heat.
  5. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to translucent.
  6. Toss in the rice and stir to coat for around 2 to 3 minutes
  7. Add the white wine, stirring until rice absorbs it..
  8. Add stock in 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until it absorbs, then repeat with another cup of hot stock.
  9. In the meantime, heat a separate sauté pan until hot, add a little butter and toss in the bay scallops, don't turn them, let them cook for 2-3 minutes, set aside.
  10. Keep stirring and repeat adding stock 1 cup at a time until the rice absorbs the liquid and tastes al dente but not crunchy and hard. ( there might be a little stock leftover).
  11. Remove risotto pan from heat, add a tablespoon of butter, lemon zest and all of the grated cheese and stir until combined.
  12. Fold in the cooked zucchini and peas being gentle when tossing and most of the cooked scallops, reserve some for garnish.
  13. Put a lid on for 1 minute, so everything can meld together.
  14. Add chopped parsley and spoon into bowls.
  15. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and the reserved scallops for garnish.
  16. Serve immediately and enjoy!

 

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Springtime Risotto

March 15, 2016 by 7 Comments

springtime risotto I know spring is here when I see tender asparagus, early peas and my beloved baby artichokes popping up in the produce aisles. Baby artichokes are so easy to prepare and with a little trimming  you’re able to eat the whole thing, there’s no comparison to the taste and texture of fresh verses frozen, jarred or canned, none at all!

spring time risotto One way I love to showcase them is with risotto, the creamy rice along with the tender veggies are just the perfect combination!

spring risotto ingredients With minimal prep work you can get this on your table in no time and what a treat it is, a one pan wonder in deed. Don’t be intimidated when making risotto it just needs a little nurturing  and constant stirring but you can’t beat the end result!

spring time risotto This meal will make you, your family and your guests very happy!

( You can also follow Proud Italian Cook on Instagram to see what else I’m cooking up during the week )

5.0 from 2 reviews
Springtime Risotto
 
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Ingredients
  • 4 fresh BABY artichokes, trimmed and kept whole
  • 1 small zucchini, sliced into rounds
  • 1 lb. of fresh asparagus, tender and thin, trimmed and cut into thirds or fourths
  • 1 heaping cup of fresh or frozen peas
  • 1 small leek, cleaned and sliced
  • 1½ cups of arborio rice
  • 1 quart of chicken or vegetable stock, warmed and simmering on the stove
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 cup of parmesan cheese, finely shredded
  • handful of parsley
  • 1 tablespoon, butter
  • 2 or so tablespoons of olive oil
Instructions
  1. Prep veggies ahead of time, for the Baby Artichokes: Snap off the outer leaves until you reach the tender pale yellow green layers, then with a serrated knife trim the tip and stems. You can steam or boil, they take about 15 minutes, I usually boil placing them whole into the water with some lemon slices and a drizzle of olive oil. When finished, let them cool then place them tip side down and cut in half, you now will have 8 artichoke halves.
  2. For the Asparagus, roast on sheet pan at 400, don't let them get brown, it only takes a couple of minutes.
  3. For the Zucchini Rounds, saute in olive oil, medium high heat on top of stove until golden, just a couple of minutes it takes.
  4. Cook Peas accordingly.
  5. FOR THE RISOTTO:
  6. Have broth simmering on low heat in separate pan.
  7. In a heavy bottom pan heat olive oil and butter on medium heat, when melted add in the leeks, cooking until soft.
  8. Add in rice, stirring for a few minutes until well coated and hot.
  9. Deglaze with wine, let it cook down for a few seconds.
  10. Add in a ladle full of broth, stirring until it all absorbs.
  11. Continue adding in broth, same way, stirring it and letting it all absorb.
  12. You'll know when it's done because rice mixture will become creamy and tender with just a little bite, you don't want your rice to taste mushy.
  13. Pull off the heat, add in the cheese and stir until incorporated, add a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and gently fold in all the veggies.
  14. Garnish with parsley.

 

 

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7 Comments Filed Under: Rice and Risotto, Spring Tagged: , , ,

Spring Vegetables in Parmesan Lemon Cream Sauce

March 12, 2015 by 15 Comments

spring vegetables in parmesan cream For seven years in a row Whole Foods Market has been celebrating the King of Cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano. This past weekend all Whole Foods across the country simultaneously “cracked” and sampled an 85- pound wheel of authentic Parmigiano Reggiano.

Did you know that every wheel at every Whole Foods Market is aged for 24 months? This is the best age in terms of taste and texture, in fact it cannot even be called Parmigiano Reggiano until it’s aged at least 12 months.

It has a rich distinctive flavor, it’s creamy, nutty, salty and savory all in one, and a little goes a long way!

They asked me if I wanted to join in the celebration, and of course I said yes. I always keep a hunk of of Parmigiano Reggiano as a staple in my kitchen, a good risotto just doesn’t taste the same without it and I can’t imagine not using it in my butternut squash gnocchi and ravioli.

It’s a great addition in many of my salads, sometimes just by simply grating large shards on top, and it goes without saying that it highlights many pasta dishes, in fact just last weekend I made a baked pasta dish with a tomato cream sauce, and honestly the Parmigiano Reggiano took it over the top, don’t get me wrong I love my Romano, but it wouldn’t have done it justice, and that’s how I feel about it, when I want a special finish to a dish that I’ve made, I always reach for Parmigiano Reggiano.

So to celebrate I wanted to make something that would showcase this special cheese and since spring is literally around the corner I decided to incorporate some of my favorite springtime veggies, lovely artichokes, fava beans, skinny asparagus and baby zucchini, and bathe them in a lemony parmesan cream sauce!

Parmigiano Reggiano Keep in mind Parmigiano Reggiano has a distinctive tan colored rind that’s pin stamped repeatedly all over, by this you will know it’s the real deal.

Parmigiano Reggianospring vegetables So on with the recipe! I used a shallow pan, 8×11, and just 1 1/2 inches deep, you want the veggies to peek out of the sauce, it gives a nicer presentation instead of them all piled on top of one another in a deep pan. You might have to double or triple the sauce ingredients depending on the size of your pan and amount of vegetables you use.

I filled my pan single layer with sliced baby leeks, skinny asparagus, artichoke hearts, fava beans, baby zucchini and sugar snap peas, but you can use any combination of spring vegetables you like.

All the vegetables are pretty much pre-cooked and ready to go. I roasted the zucchini, asparagus and leek slices in the oven until crisp tender. The sugar snap peas were blanched for 4 minutes and of course the artichokes were cooked ahead of time, you could use frozen artichoke hearts if you want, but I wouldn’t use canned. The fava beans were bought and pre-cooked, all I needed to do was peel the skin off, that was easy and save alot of time.

spring vegetables in parmesan cream Heavy cream, nutty Parmigiano Reggiano along with lemon zest and mint is a match made in spring veggie heaven!

spring vegetables in parmesan cream This would be a wonderful side dish to your Easter table!

5.0 from 3 reviews
Spring Vegetables in Parmesan Lemon Cream Sauce
 
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The amount of sauce ingredients I used was for my 11x8 inch pan, 1½ deep, use your discretion and double or triple the amount if using a larger pan.
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Ingredients
  • Assorted spring vegetables of your choice, precooked, placed single layer in a shallow pan, I used leeks, artichoke hearts, sugar snap peas, skinny aspragus and baby zucchini and fava beans.
  • 1¼ cups Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
  • 1½ cups, heavy cream
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • fresh mint
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a small sauce pan add the heavy cream and simmer just until it starts to bubble along the edges,
  2. ( this is a very important step), then remove from stove and toss in half of the zest and half of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano, stir gently.
  3. Spoon the cream sauce over and around all the vegetables.
  4. Sprinkle remaining cheese all over.
  5. Bake in 400 degree oven, uncovered until cheesy sauce sets and is thickened.
  6. If you want a little golden color, place pan under the broiler for a couple of minutes but please keep checking, don't walk away!
  7. Garnish with remaining zest and mint leaves, and a little more Parmigiano Reggiano wouldn't hurt.

 

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