Gorgonzola Cheese and Mushroom Fettuccini

Sunday night I was looking to make something rich and filling. A couple months ago I came up with this dish and really enjoyed it. So I recreated it tonight, and it was just as I remembered it.

You may have noticed that when I cook with mushrooms, I usually choose cremini mushrooms as I did in this dish. Cremini mushrooms are baby portabellas. Therefore, like portabellas, they are meatier than the white button mushrooms and hence more earthy and tastier.

Remember that when you clean mushrooms you should never wash them under water. They tend to act like sponges and will just soak up the water, which in turn will make them tough. Instead, lightly moisten a dish towel and then just wipe off the mushrooms.

So here is the recipe (per serving):

• 1 ½ tsp Olive oil
• 1/2 Shallot, chopped
• 1 Garlic clove, chopped
• 1/4 lb Cremini mushrooms, sliced into 1/3 inch pieces
• 1/2 tsp Flour
• 1/2 cup Whole milk
• 1.5 oz Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 cup Sliced basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 serving Fettuccini pasta, cooked

1. Over medium heat in a sauté pan, add olive oil, shallot, garlic, and mushrooms. Cover and cook, mixing periodically, until the mushrooms are cooked through.

2. Add flour, mix, and cook for a minute (this will “cook off” the raw flour taste).
3. Add milk and stir—picking up the dried bits on the bottom of the pan. Then add gorgonzola cheese and dissolve it into the milk. (I used a whisk for this stage).
4. Lightly simmer mixture until it thickens to desired consistency (remember that the sauce will thicken further once it cools down on the pasta).
5. Add basil and stir until basil has wilted. This will take a minute at most.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. In a serving dish with fettuccini, pour the gorgonzola and mushroom sauce on top of the pasta. Garnish with extra basil.

Enjoy!