I’m a big fan of Italian food, and I love a simple pasta for dinner. I’m also a Rachael Ray fan…I know she has her haters, but I’m on the other side. She tosses everything up so quickly, so smartly, that you just can’t help but think: that would look pretty darn good on my plate this evening. And today, after seeing this post with tagliatelle and baked barbecue chicken, I just had to have some tagliatelle for dinner.
I love long pasta. Long pasta which you can twirl around your fork and toss into your mouth with a sophisticated slurp. Well, as sophisticated as a slurp can get. (I’m sure the French have found a way to do so.) So as much as possible, I opt for spaghetti and tagliatelle. I used to be a penne person, until Maggi came out with their ridonkulous Maggi Pazzta in mushroom penne. They have put me off penne. Perhaps for good. Anyway.
This recipe isn’t taken from Rachael Ray, but I whipped it up like Ms Ray would- quickly, using whole foods, whatever was available on hand, and piled high on my plate. Therefore, I dedicate this post to her. As you can see, the pictures were taken after the sun set, therefore kind of garish.
I started with garlic and mushrooms and sautéed them in olive oil, with S&P (like Rachael says.)
I had some chicken sausages in my freezer, so I defrosted them, chopped them into 1/2 inch thick round pieces, and tossed them in, along with some fresh basil, thyme, parsley, rosemary + oregano flakes and chilli flakes. I added a little water at this point- maybe a quarter cup- not too much (mushrooms release a lot of water anyway.)
Then I added a dollop of this awesome creamy cheese spread called Puck (weird name for a cream cheese spread, I know). You may use any cheese spread you like, or fresh cream for that matter. I added a quarter cup of milk as well, more salt and pepper to taste, and let everything simmer.
Meanwhile, I had already cooked my tagliatelle al dente and kept it aside.
Now that the sauce is done, grab your tagliatelle (which has been cooked al dente, drained and set aside.) Sauce it up, twirl it around your fork, dig in! As Ms Ray would say: Soooper soooper simple and soooper soooper great as a main or a side. For Thanksgiving, Christmas, Passover, Easter, Diwali, Holi, or any other time of year. (Oh, but I jest. I doubt she would say that.)
CREAMY TAGLIATELLE WITH MUSHROOM & SAUSAGE
INGREDIENTS
- 1 packet tagliatelle pasta + enough water to boil it in (roughly 300 grams)
- 200 grams sliced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4-5 sausages (regular sized ones, not cocktail ones. Add more sausages of you want.)
- Basil, parsley, thyme and rosemary: just scissor or chop it in, according to taste. (I like a stronger flavour of basil so I added more. Here you should just consult your taste buds.)
- 1 teaspoon oregano flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (omit if you wish)
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons cheese spread (or cream)
- 3 tablespoons milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
- First, get your tagliatelle on. Boil in water till al dente, drain and keep aside.
- Add olive oil to a pot. When the oil
getgets hot, add garlic, salt, pepper and sautée till garlic becomes soft. Add sliced mushrooms and sautée some more. - Add sausages + all the herbs + chilli flakes. Sautée further.
- Add water and simmer for a minute or so.
- Next, add the cheese spread/cream and milk, turn the flame to medium, cover and allow to simmer for a few minutes more, stirring occasionally. Once your sauce has thickened, you are ready to plate up.
- Spoon over or incorporate into your tagliatelle, and you are good to go!
And that was dinner 😛
Oh yeah, and you can use any variety of pasta you like 😀
Yummy recipe!! I love a good plate of pasta — always wish I don’t end up face-planting in it 😀
BTW, thanks for visiting my blog!!!
I’ve found the first dinner I’m going to make in my new kitchen! Thanks, Meen. Also, I love Donna Hay. She has such easy recipes. I’m dying to try out her chocolate brownies 🙂
im not a big fan of RR… her raspy voice gets to me! but yeah her quick jhat pat cooking is admirable, wish i had that quality! this looks easy peasy, gotta try it for sure 🙂
Lol! Now that you mention it, her voice is kinda raspy… I wasn’t a fan initially, but then she grew on me…
Another chap to look up is David Rocco (Dolce Vita). He makes simple Italian food that may appeal to people who have uncomplicated palates (read children). Love some of his minimalist pasta dishes! Enjoy!
Yum, I would eat those mushrooms just like that! Never thought to put cream cheese to make the sauce, great idea!
Haha! Yeah I just used whatever I could find in the fridge…sometimes impromptu meals turn out the best!
Pasta! Pasta! My daughter is a big fan all types of pasta and loves it doused in Alfredo sauce! I will have to make your spiced up version of Alfredo sauce next! I like the idea of chilli flakes in Alfredo sauce!
I find that crinkled, scored and tube pasta (Farfalle and RIgatoni are my favorites) are much better at holding on to sauces. I make my own pasta dough every sunday! Love the entire process of gently mixing flour with eggs and then cutting sheets of dough using my pasta maker. You should try out some of Mario Batali’s recipes (Molto Mario). He is the master of modern Italian cooking!
Take care!
You make your own pasta dough each week? That should give Achan something to chew on. Maybe next time when I’m home I can try making some. Yeah farfalle holds sauce better…longer pasta is a messy affair, but I like the mess. I will go and check out some Batali recipes for sure! Love to everyone there 🙂
Yes I do make my own bread, pizza and pasta dough! Wish to avoid all other junk they put into these products to increase their shelf life. It is time consuming and cumbersome, but the taste is divine!!
I share your love for long pasta! I think it is because I can never eat it perfectly, and the meal is always fun 🙂
http://www.styleonthecouch.com
Yeah! Longer pasta makes for merrier eating. You get your bite’s worth.
I think Rachel Ray is fabulous! Not sure why people don’t like her?
I love her! We used to get old episodes of her show on Indian CBS for a while and I used to watch it everyday. Well, some purists think she doesn’t cook extremely healthy stuff…but I like her. She’s fun, and it’s a nice concept show.
Just connected to your site via Dashboard and I love mushroom, especially in a sauce. This absolutely delish!
If you feel inclined check out my gluttonous site that consumes sports, food, etc.
cheers!
Jed
My husband and I can actually come to blows over the last slice of mushroom. We love it that much! Thank you so much for visiting, will swing by your site too, Jed!
Lol! Thank you!
Looks soooper soooper delish! 😀