Pasta with Mushrooms and Edamame

Ah, pasta. A staple of every kitchen, everyone knows how to make it.  Super simple and comforting. And this recipe uses one of my other favorites, mushrooms! 

original recipe via cookinglight.com 

Grocery list items:

Frozen edamame 

Mushrooms 

Mascarpone cheese

Mascarpone gives this recipe a little something extra. It's basically a very mild cream cheese. In Italy, restaurants serve it pretty much plain with chocolate chips for a dessert. I've never tried it, but maybe regular cream cheese would substitute in this recipe, although mascarpone isn't as tart as the good old Philly cream cheese. Heavy cream would probably also be good, it just might make a more liquid-y sauce. 

Also, feel free to use any kind of mushrooms in this recipe. I went for a mixture of cremini and shiitake.

Pasta with Cremini and Edamame

1 1/2 cup edamame, defrosted and shelled 

8 oz mushrooms, sliced 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 onion, diced 

3 clove garlic, sliced

5 oz mascarpone

1 tbsp dried oregano

salt + pepper 

1 lb pasta, any shape (I used farfalle), cooked and drained

Start by sauteeing the onions in olive oil, until they are soft. Add the mushrooms to the pan, and stir to coat them in oil. Add salt, pepper, and oregano. Then let them sit for 10 min, until most of the liquid is cooked off.

Add the edamame and garlic and stir together, cooking until the garlic is soft.

Then add the mascarpone, stirring well to incorporate. 

Toss in the pasta, and mix well to combine. Delicious and simple! 

Different people cook pasta different ways, but this is how I was taught in Italy, so I do it this way: 

Using a large pot, fill it with a lot of water. Bring the water to a boil (put the lid on it, it's faster). When the water is boiling, remove the lid and add a bit of salt, allowing it to dissolve. Leave the lid off, and add the pasta and cook until it is al dente.

The purpose of leaving pasta al dente is allegedly that if it's too mushy, you won't chew it enough and break down the starch, causing you to bloat later. I just think it tastes better. 

If you're cutting carbs, you can also cool and reheat your pasta, one of my favorite tricks as it turns the pasta into resistant starch. 

Your pasta is ready to serve! You can sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if you like. 

Go ahead and make substitutions with this recipe. Try any shape pasta, any variety of mushroom, or  sub out the edamame for either fava beans or maybe lima beans. Enjoy!

Pasta with Mushrooms and Edamame

1 1/2 cup edamame, defrosted and shelled 

8 oz mushrooms, sliced 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 onion, diced 

3 clove garlic, sliced

5 oz mascarpone

1 tbsp dried oregano

salt + pepper 

1 lb pasta, any shape, cooked and drained

Directions:
1. Sautee onions in olive oil until they are soft.
2. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, and oregano and stir to coat.

3. Allow mushrooms to brown, cooking off excess liquid, about 10 min.

4. Add edamame and garlic and cook until garlic is soft. 

5. Stir in mascarpone until well combined.  

6. Toss with pasta until coated and hot.

7. Serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.