Pasta with Mushrooms, White Wine, and Cream

I got into this simple dish when I was living in Turkey. I lived in an isolated home about 45 minutes from Isparta's city center, with windows so badly insulated that it sounded like I lived in a tea kettle whenever the wind blew--which was every day, all the time. I swear the house could have been in the 1939 production of Wuthering Heights. Anyway, one day I finally found out where to buy alcohol in my town--it's not easy once you're out of the tourist destinations. I had a chunk of parmesan from my last visit to Italy that Guido (my Italian boyfriend) had wrapped in foil and stuffed in my suitcase. Finally, I had a precious bag of gluten-free pasta that my best friend Melanie sent me for my birthday. All I knew was that this meal had better be delicious if it was going to use my precious ingredients (wine, parmesan, and gluten-free pasta). Fortunately, the creamy deliciousness totally satisfied.
But let me just come out and say it: If you are on a diet, stay away from this dish. It's creamy, delicious, and yummy...but it is dangerous for the skinny inclined, full of calories and fat. That said, I think it's good to splurge every once in a while, and if you're in a splurging mood, go for this. I think what makes this pasta so dang tasty is using a little extra garlic (maybe a second clove if you're daring), a whole lot of parmesan, and a decent white wine.  Do not even think about skipping the wine.

I used gluten-free white rice penne for this dish. I don't recommend corn pasta for this because its strong flavor might detract from the cream sauce. That said, they make a good corn and rice tagliatelle here in Italy and I would have way rather used that than the penne, for the texture. And if you're not gluten-free, then I would definitely use your favorite flat egg noodle, like a fettuccine or tagliatelle.

Without further ado...

Servings: 2 full plates

• 1 Tbs of butter
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine (Don't skimp on this!)
• 1 cup of cream (200 ml)
• 3 Tbs grated parmesan
• 9 to 10 oz of mushrooms--about one package of mushrooms
• 1 Tbs chopped parsley
• Salt and black pepper
• Pasta for two
• G-Spot Ingredient: The sneaky trick I highlight in the recipe!

Bring your pot of water to a boil and add about 1 Tbs of salt before you add the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, that is, cook it until it needs about one more minute until it's ready.

While the water is heating up, get your sauce prepared so it's ready a bit before the pasta is done.

Start by chopping up your mushrooms and garlic. Melt the butter in the pan, then add the garlic. There are two ways you can do this. You can add the garlic the Italian way, which means that you cut the clove in half, let it cook in the olive oil, and then pull it out later so you don't eat it. Or you can do it the American way, which is to chop it up and let it cook throughout the sauce. I left it in, so the garlic permeated the sauce. But Italians don't like to actually eat garlic--a shocker for me, I tell ya--so if you're cooking for a bunch of natives, I'd just use two halves and pull them out before you serve.

Add your mushrooms quickly (the garlic should hardly brown), add a pinch of salt, then cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until soft and tasty. Once the mushrooms have cooked down, add your wine. Allow the wine to simmer until it's fully absorbed by the mushrooms and evaporated. Then add your cream and parmesan (alright, go ahead and add a bit more than 3 Tbs...I mean, you just put a cup of cream in there--why not just go for the gold?). Simmer gently till the sauce thickens, then add your parsley and let it cook for one more minute.

Now, here's the G-Spot trick : Drain your pasta when cooked, then pour it into the saucepan. Mix the pasta in the sauce well, then let it cook for another minute so the pasta can absorb all that creamy, crazy yummy goodness.

Serve with more parmesan cheese on top, some black pepper, and a glass of white wine. Delizioso!

Enjoy!