On one of those spontaneous weekends, I went over to Dharshiney's place to bake. Being a hospitable host, Dharshiney decided to whip up a simple lunch for me! For those of you who are looking for a healthier alternative to your quick and lazy lunch aka maggie mee, here's how!
A friend from IJ, NURUL ATHIRAH taught me the basics for this when I went over to her place for dinner. I just improvised :D
You will need:
Sufficient for 4 people
1) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2) 6 - 7 cloves of garlic, chopped finely.
3) 1 medium bowl of mushrooms (any kind), chopped coarsely.
*I used White Button Mushrooms in this recipe.
4) 2 cartons of EMBORG Cooking Cream / Whipping Cream.
*I used whipping cream because there wasn't cooking cream at Fairprice but both works fine.
5) Red Chillies / Chilli Padi. One chilli padi is enough for a kick but add to taste.
6) A single packet of Cheddar Cheese (to thicken the sauce)
*I used the ones you would usually add as pizza toppings.
7) 4 cups of pasta. I used fusilli in this recipe.
*Cream based pastas are better with linguine/fusilli but it's personal preference.
8) Salt, to add when you cook the pasta
9) Pepper, to taste.
Have 2 pots on hand:
1) For the cream sauce
2) For the pasta (get a large deep pot)
You will also need a colander to drain the water once the pasta has been cooked al dente.
Step 1:
Estimate a serving of your choice of pasta.
Roughly about 4 cups or more for 4 people.
I used Barilla's fusilli.
Step 2:
Boil a pot of water at the same time (the deep pot for the pasta).
While the water is on the stove, prep the ingredients.
Wash the garlic, mushrooms and chilli.
Then chop the mushrooms and chilli coarsely.
For the chilli, you can choose to add or remove the seeds.
For those of you, like Chu Fang, who can't take spicy food, use normal chillies.
Then remove the seeds so it won't be as spicy.
Personally, I like the extra kick, so I'd leave the seeds in.
Step 3:
For the garlic, mince them finely but don't over do it.
The garlic would burn really quickly if it's too fine.
Set the prepped ingredients aside on a plate or bowl.
Now, don't forget about the pot with the boiling water.
Once the water has started to boil, add a tablespoon of salt to the water.
Once the salt has dissolved, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the water.
This is to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
Add the pasta to the water and cook as instructed on the box/packet.
Once done, drain the pasta in a colander and leave to cool.
Step 4:
In a medium sized pot, on medium heat add 4 to 5 tablespoons of olive oil.
Once the olive oil has heated up, fry the chopped garlic until golden brown.
Careful not to burn the garlic.
At this point, I would add sliced chillies but if you can't take spicy food, leave them out.
Step 5:
Then add the sliced white button mushrooms and saute them till they have been watered down.
You would be able to see the mushrooms shrink a whole lot.
Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Just to add a little flavour.
Step 6:
Then add both cartons of cream into the already sauteed garlic, mushrooms and chilli.
Stir continuously, so that the cream thickens.
Add cheese to the sauce to thicken it up more.
Just add bit by bit till the thickness is to your liking.
Once the sauce is done, ensure the water is thoroughly drained from the colander.
Then add the pasta to the sauce and stir till well combined.
You can choose to add even more cheese to the pasta to give it that cheesy feel.
Tada! A plate of yummy Creamy Mushroom Pasta is served!
You could add prawns, chicken or whatever you want in place of the mushrooms. Either way, it would be just as yummy. Just be sure to cook the meat well before you add the cream.
For this recipe, I don't really have specific measurements. I usually go with my gut and roughly estimate based on the number of people I cook for. Always remember that if you enjoy what you do, it would always turn out alright! Just use your imagination, add a loads of love and change things up once in awhile! Try this recipe out and let me know how it goes!
Cheerios~
Words by: Dharshiney
