Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Published on September 24, 2024

The pasta has a pretty light flavor profile. I stumbled on making this while absolutely obliterating someone else's recipe. This is not helping me beat the vegetarian allegations either. Read the notes for substitutions/upgrades.

Time: 45-ish mins Servings: 4 or so

Ingredients

1 lb penne rigatoni
1.5 lb brown mushrooms, sliced or hand-torn
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
1 half white onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced/garlic pressed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
olive oil

Instructions

Heat some olive oil in a large pan. Add mushrooms, then salt and pepper (a pinch). Cook until the mushrooms are browned (see notes for details).
Stir in onion, garlic, thyme, and sage. Cook until the onions are transluscent.
Boil water to cook the pasta. Cook for 1-2 minutes less than box instructions. Drain once done.
Add chicken stock and balsamic vinegar to the mushrooms, bringing to a simmer. Add in cornstarch and stir for 5 or so minutes.
Add fish sauce and taste. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
Mix in butter (I recommend cutting the butter into chunks before you add it).
Fold the pasta into the mushroom sauce.
Stir in the parsley and serve.

Notes

if there is too much liquid when you're initially cooking the mushrooms, feel free to drain them and return 'em to the pan
use whatever mix of mushrooms you would like
for pasta substitutions, I would recommend sticking to medium sized pastas
if you opt to use fresh thyme, triple the amount
feel free to top with a lil parmesan or pecorino. the world is your oyster
this meal reheats pretty well

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

Published on June 14, 2024

This recipe comes from the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels. It's a great potluck dish. Read the notes for substitutions/upgrades.

Time: about 1 hour Servings: 9 or so

Ingredients

Gravy

2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp soy sauce
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dijon mustard

Pie

24 oz of Impossible brand ground beef
6 medium russet potatoes, chopped into small pieces
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced/garlic pressed
3/8 cup milk
3/4 stick of butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
ground black pepper
salt

Instructions

Boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes; until tender. Drain, then add 1/4 cup milk and the butter to the potatoes. Mash them up and salt/pepper as you please.
Add all the gravy ingredients to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Constantly whisk over medium-high heat until the gravy thickens. Remove from heat.
Heat the olive oil in a big pan (or pot) on medium-high; add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and red wine. Cook until they are very soft, about 10-15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Add the meat and mix well. Wait until the meat browns to add the gravy mixture and 1/8 cup of milk. Again, mix well. Salt/pepper to taste.
Once satisfactorily mixed, glop the meat/veggie mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes on top in an even layer.
Place the dish into the oven for 5 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes (to crisp up the top).
Serve immediately!

Notes

if you want to make this recipe vegan, replace the butter with margarine and the milk with soymilk
you can omit the red wine if you wish (no sub needed). I recommend using a cabernet sauvignon or a merlot if you do include the wine
if you want the meat goop to be saucier, add some more milk!
keep an eye on the gravy, it can get chunky if you aren't whisking it enough
you can put beef in this. like the one from the cow. there's no change to the recipe

Vegetarian Italian Wedding Soup

Published on June 9, 2024

This is a vegetarian version, for no other reason than I like working with Impossible brand beef. Read the notes for substitutions/upgrades.

Time: about 1 hour Servings: 6 or so

Ingredients

Meatballs

1/2 lb Impossible brand ground beef
1/4 cup italian panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp pecorino romano
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced/garlic pressed
2 tbsp milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp red pepper flakes
pinch of truffles

Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced/garlic pressed
8 cups vegetable stock
1/2 tbsp dried dill
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup acini di pepe
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, stems removed, cut in half
2 tbsp pecorino romano

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine meatball ingredients and mix well.
Form meatballs about the size of a penny/1 cent euro. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and place in the fridge.
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot (big pot). Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook covered, until soft (about 10 minutes on medium).
Add the stock, dill, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low boil. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
Drop the meatballs into the soup and continue to cook. Move onto the next step when the meatballs float to the top.
Add spinach and cook until the spinach looks soggy.
Add the pasta and the pecorino romano. Stir. Cook until pasta is tender (this should be quick).
Remove from heat and serve!

Notes

you can replace the italian bread crumbs with plain bread crumbs
I don't use fresh dill because I am lazy. For fresh dill, use 1/4 cup
you can use any small pasta, but if it's larger than a pea, you need to adjust the order of steps to account for a longer pasta cook time
some other pastas I use are ditalini, stelline, and anellini. Do NOT use orzo
you may find that you would like more broth, especially since specific pasta types are leeches when stored in the fridge
save the vegetable scraps and put in the freezer to use for a stock later
if you're all huffy about the pecorino romano, chiudi il becco