"Meat-Less" Mondays: Pasta with Mushrooms and Thyme

There are about a hundred reasons why people chose a vegetarian diet, including a passion for animal rights, to improve their health, and (my personal favorite) to reduce their carbon footprint. I won't argue particulars with you, but these are reasons why this choice works for some people.

That being said, there are a hundred reasons why people chose NOT to eat a vegetarian diet, including religious justifications, health reasons (yes it makes sense for both!), and believing that global warming is just liberal propaganda. Or there are people like me who love food too much to limit themselves.

More importantly, I'd like to believe that a major reason people eat meat with every meal is that they simply don't know how NOT to eat meat; they don't have the information or the access or the time to come up with healthy, filling, and tasty vegetarian meal alternatives. I include myself in this last category, which is why I decided to make

(#5) Eat Vegetarian One Day a Week

part of my list. I have no intention of depriving myself of the occasional burger, but I do know that eating less meat is better for me and better for the environment. So I want to use the list to push myself to come up with more creative and delicious vegetarian meals, and hope that sharing them with you will help those of you who also fit into the I-would-if-I-could category.

Why not also join forces with the Meatless Monday movement. Though we're not going meatless, just meat-less.

This first recipe is from Martha Stewart, and I guaranteed to fill up and satisfy the most skeptical of carnivores: provided they like mushrooms, of course.

This was my first time working with dried porcini mushrooms. While they were rehydrating, they gave off
such a sumptuous, savory smell that if I told you I was cooking beef, you would have believed me.

Pasta with Mushrooms and Thyme

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces gemelli or other short twisted pasta
• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 cup), rinsed in cold water
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• 10 ounces button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Instructions:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain, and return to pot. Set aside. While pasta is cooking, in a small bowl, soak porcini in 1 1/2 cups hot water until tender, at least 15 minutes. (Prepare yourself for their aggressively delicious aroma.)

2. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook shallot 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Add wine and reduce, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Add button and shiitake mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

4. Add porcini and their soaking liquid (leaving any grit at the bottom of the bowl) and thyme to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces by half, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer noodles to mushroom mixture. Add Parmesan and remaining butter, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with more Parmesan.

As usual, serve anything this dangerously delicious with a salad to distract your tastebuds.

Enjoy! Stay tuned for more "Meat-less" Monday recipes, or check out my similarly-themed Pinterest board.