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Fresh Tomato and Mushroom Pasta with Cream Sauce
Mushroom and pasta recipes are very popular, as are pasta with cream sauce recipes. If you fancy a Greek touch, you could make something like pasta in a sour cream sauce with feta cheese, capers, and tomatoes. Fusion dishes like Italian pasta with Greek additions are really popular.
Of course you can go hideously wrong when trying to combine two (or more) cuisines, so keep tasting as you go and don't try anything too daring if you are hosting a dinner party and want to impress your guests! The following recipe uses plenty of cream and cheese to give a luxurious texture and taste. The tomatoes, Romano cheese, pasta, and basil give it a true Italian flavor.
The sky is the limit with pasta to be honest and you can even use it in dessert recipes. You can use any type of pasta you like but something sturdy like Penne, Bow Tie, or Rotini is recommended for most mushroom and pasta recipes, to ensure the pasta keeps its shape. It should not go mushy if you cook it to al dente. Pasta is best cooked to al dente, and this means just before it goes soft. Soggy pasta is not nice so make sure it does not overcook.
Pasta with Cream Sauce Recipes
Ingredients -
16 oz dried or fresh pasta
½ cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup seeded and chopped fresh plum tomatoes
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 oz cream cheese
½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
A handful of chives to garnish
Preparation:
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside. Don't rinse the pasta after cooking or the sauce won't stick properly. Sauté the garlic and onion in hot oil in a skillet over a medium high heat for 5 minutes or until the onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, mushrooms, salt and red pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the cream, basil and cream cheese. Cook until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth. Stir constantly. Serve this sauce over the cooked pasta, sprinkling with the Romano cheese and a few chives.
(Serves 6)
Wine Suggestion:
Which Wine to Serve with This Recipe
When making mushroom and pasta recipes, the sauce will determine which kind of wine will go well with the recipe. If you are using a cheese, tomato and cream sauce, a lot of red wines go very well. You can choose a Burgundy, Bordeaux or a Rhone, all of which are best served at 63ºF. If you want something light and fruity, you might like to accompany this recipe with a Pinot Noir, which is best served at 55ºF..
Photo Description:
A Picture of Fresh Tomato and Mushroom Pasta with Cream Sauce - this dish makes a lite yet surprisingly refreshing side dish recipe that is a wonderful acompaniment to any of our meat entrée or as a meal with a soup and salad dish. A Picture of Fresh Tomato and Mushroom Pasta with Cream Sauce - this dish makes a lite yet surprisingly refreshing side dish recipe that is a wonderful acompaniment to any of our meat entrée or as a meal with a soup and salad dish.
Storing Opened Wine
Heat is the worst thing to expose open wine to, because it causes oxidization. If you are not going to finish the bottle, keep it in the refrigerator to slow the oxidization process. Opened wine should be re-corked and it should last between 3 and 5 days in the refrigerator. If you did not keep the cork, you can use plastic wrap and a rubber band instead.
If you want to keep the wine for longer, you will need a wine stopper and pump. Put the stopper in the bottle and use the pump to pump out air. This creates an airtight seal. Another way to do this is to spray preservative gas from a canister into the wine bottle and then quickly put the cork back in. The gas will force the air out of the bottle. If your wine does oxidize to an extent, it is still safe to drink. If it does not taste so good any more but is still drinkable, you might want to use it for cooking. Champagne and sparkling wine will also keep in the refrigerator for a few days.
Storing Opened Red Wine
Red wine should be stored in the refrigerator once opened because of the risk of oxidization. You will need to bring it back to room temperature again before drinking it. Bringing a chilled wine to room temperature normally takes a couple of hours.
Adding Wine to Beef Stew
If you have leftover wine and it has been open for two or more days, taste a little bit before pouring a glass. It will never taste like a freshly opened wine but it might be drinkable. If not, do not worry because there are things you can do with it. The worst case scenario is that you leave it open for months to make white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar but if it has been open less than a week it shouldn't come to that!
Red wine is a wonderful addition to beef stew and you can use up your wine in a beef stew recipe, whether you have a few teaspoons or half a bottle to use up. Simply add the wine to the stew instead of some of the liquid and let it cook with the beef and other ingredients. It will complement the flavor of the meat. If you want to serve a glass of red wine with the beef stew in red wine, then open a fresh bottle!
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