Creamy Shiitake Asparagus Pasta

by Jeremy McAdams, Cherry Tree House Mushrooms

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

8 to 10 oz. dried pasta

4 to 6 oz. chopped shiitake or oyster mushrooms (Cherry Tree House Mushrooms)

1 medium onion or 1/2 cup garlic scapes, chopped (Loon Organics)

2 or 3 cups fresh asparagus – cut into 1 inch lengths (Prairie Hollow Farm)

1/4 cup butter 2 tablespoons flour 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme or oregano (Stone’s Throw Urban Farm)

salt & pepper

1/2 cup cream

1/2  cup white wine

1/3 cup crumbled friesago cheese (Shepherd’s Way Farm)

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (Prairie Hollow Farm)

 

 

Method

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.

Clean mushrooms if needed, remove stems, and chop.  Store mushroom stems in the freezer to add to stock.  Clean asparagus thoroughly and cut into segments.  Peel and chop onion.  Mince the parsley and crumble the cheese.

This sauce is ready in about 8 minutes, so don’t start cooking it until the pasta is sufficiently far along that they will be ready at the same time.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté the onions or scapes until transparent and/or soft.  Add mushrooms and asparagus until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir regularly.  Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour, and season with the thyme or oregano, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly for another minute or two.

Mix in the cream and wine.  Stir constantly until the sauce has thickened, then mix in most of the cheese and parsley.

Toss sauce with the cooked, drained pasta and serve at once, garnished with remaining cheese and parsley.

recipe adapted from Seasonal Ontario Food blog