Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Bavarian Spiced Portobello Mushroom Pasta


It was a dark and stormy night... and there wasn't much in my fridge except a lonely portobello cap and half a can of diced tomatoes.  So, I settled in to accepting the likelihood that there would be another pasta dinner on the horizon.  But tonight I decided to try something a little different.


I poked around my pantry for a box of spices a friend had gotten me for New Year's Day (thanks, Jessica!) and discovered this one marked "Bavarian Style Seasoning" which had me intrigued.  The label stated that this was a hand-mixed blend of crushed brown mustard, rosemary, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and sage. It sounded sausage-y to me, so I figured it would work well with the portobello.


I started by dicing the mushroom and sauteing it in olive oil until soft and lightly browned.  Then I threw in some sliced garlic and fresh basil. Once the garlic was golden and fragrant, I added about a teaspoon of the spice mix and some salt and pepper.  Instant aroma!  I deglazed with the tomatoes and let the sauce simmer until it thickened, about 10 minutes.


I tossed the penne pasta with the sauce, then topped it with some fresh thyme sprigs from my garden.  For a twist on the standard pasta sauce, this hearty, savory, and slightly tangy topping was a success.

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