Meatless Monday: Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese
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With a title like that, how could I not want to make this recipe when I first encountered it? Those ingredients pretty much scream “Elly!” Not to mention, they also tend to be in my kitchen at all times.
This is a perfect year-round vegetarian pasta dish that’s easy to make, hearty, and flavorful. This is definitely one of those dishes where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Just a few simple ingredients provide great earthiness and depth of flavor.
I altered the ingredient amounts a bit in this recipe, mainly to make it healthier (a bit less fat, less pasta for the same amount of servings, etc.). But I also added a little booze. 😀 I didn’t add peas to this when we had it for dinner, since we ate it with a salad, but I did add a small handful to my lunch leftovers.
Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese
Adapted from Food & Wine
1.5 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 lb. portobello mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
10 oz. pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
3 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled
3 Tbsp. Parmesan or Romano cheese, plus more for serving
In a large pan, melt 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions, 1/2 tsp. salt, and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20-30 minutes. Add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated, a few more minutes. Remove the onions from the pan.
In the same pan, melt the remaining .5 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 tsp. of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and the pepper.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Toss the ziti and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, goat cheese, and the Parmesan/Romano. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with additional Parmesan.
I love it when a seemingly simple ingredient list leads to something wonderful. Which definitely happened here!
It does sound amazing Elly. I don’t believe I could ever tire of pasta.
Yum .. this is right up my alley! It looks so comforting yet elegant, and I love that you made it a bit healthier. Can’t wait to try it!
This looks great! I bought quite a load of goat cheese a little while ago, and was just pondering what I should do with it next. . . . This could be perfect. Love the carameilized onions too. I may have to commit a meatless blunder though, and go with chicken instead of mushrooms, just so the kids will eat it!
That combo would be really good on pizza, too! Definitely looks like a great recipe!
MM, this is my kind of dinner! I love mushrooms almost as much as I love pasta 🙂
I love the pop of color the peas add!
Not surprisingly, I also have this recipe saved. Glad to hear that it was a winner, and now I really need to make it. Great pictures, too 🙂
this looks really good. After thanksgiving, I’m looking for some great meatless mains
I made this last night and it was delightful. We are trying to become a meat-free household and this was a great dish to add to our budding repertoire. I did the full pound of pasta and I wilted a bag of spinach into the mix as I am not a huge fan of green peas. I also used more goat cheese since I upped the amount of pasta; I probably used about 4-5 ounces. Thanks for the recipe, Elly!
Glad you enjoyed it! I was also thinking a wilted green would be a great addition – I love spinach, chard, etc. with caramelized onions.
This looks delicious! We’re able to get some awesome local mushrooms and now you have my mind turning on our next use for them. Thanks for the idea! 🙂