Recipe 36- Cavatappi with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

                                  CAVATAPPI WITH MUSHROOMS AND TOMATOES


1/4 C extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 pound fresh white mushrooms, cut into 1/2 in dice
1 C canned whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice, coarsely chopped
salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 C freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 pound cavatappi

Put the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over a medium-high heat and cook until the garlic begins to change color, then stir in the parsley. Put in the fresh mushrooms and cook until all the water they release has evaporated.  Add tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper, and cook until the tomatoes have reduced and separated from the oil.  Remove the skillet from the heat.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan or pot, add 1 tablespoon of salt, and drop in the pasta all at once, stirring well. When the pasta is almost done, return the sauce to a medium-low heat. Once the pasta is cooked , drain and toss it with the sauce, adding the butter and cheese.  Serve at once.

Ratings (out of five)
Difficulty **
Taste *****

This recipe was a huge success.  My husband Steve said "it tastes like an authentic Italian dish that we could have eaten last summer in Italy."

This recipe comes from my favorite Italian cookbook entitled The Classic Pasta Cookbook by Giuliana Hazan. I received this book as a gift when I first got married and moved to California in 1993. I chose to cook this particular recipe because I am having a couple who are vegetarian over for a dinner party next month and I wanted to try out an all veggie pasta sauce.  Since this meal was so well received, I will certainly serve this dish at my party.