Pasta with Creamy Mushrooms

This pasta and mushroom dish is a recipe that I make regularly - probably every two weeks or so. It uses two of our favorite meat free foods.

This is quick to make and is a nutritious dinner when served with a simple tomato salad. It also includes cheese and milk (for protein) and I'd love to think that it's low-calorie but that might be wishful thinking.

Nevertheless, for people who want a meat-free meal it's delicious, easy to make and I find that even my meat-eating friends enjoy it.

Although the creamed mushrooms in the recipe are served with pasta as a vegetarian entree, they can also be served as an appetizer. Toast slices taken from a French loaf, pile creamed mushrooms on each slice and garnish. This would be great for a buffet too - served hot or cold - and has the advantage of being low cost.

Here's the recipe for this meat free entree...

Photograph © BritFlorida.

Something I like about this recipe is that it can mainly be made with foods that I have in stock most of the time.

• About 4oz pasta (depending on how greedy you feel!)
• 4oz mushrooms (but if you're increasing the pasta amount, increase these too)
• 2 scallions / spring onions
• 2 tablespoons frozen peas
• Knob of butter
• I heaped teaspoon flour
• Half a pint of milk
• A pinch of sea salt and some freshly-ground black pepper
• 2 oz grated cheese

Put a pan of water to boil to cook the pasta.

In another pan, melt the butter and add the mushrooms cut into bite-sized pieces.

Add sliced scallions, reserving some of the green part for garnishing.

Add salt and pepper and cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time

By now, the water will have boiled so cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Add the flour to the mushrooms and cook for a further minute, stirring so that the they become coated.

Still stirring add half the milk. When it begins to thicken, add the remainder.

Continue to stir until the sauce is thick then turn down the heat to simmer.

Drain the pasta.

Add grated cheese to the mixture and stir until the cheese is melted

Serve with the pasta and a quick tomato salad

I use one tomato per person.

Slice the tomato and arrange on a plate. Add finely chopped garlic. Add black pepper and sprinkle with a small pinch of salt. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a tiny pinch of sugar. Add sliced black olives, chopped basil and drizzle with olive oil.

Done.

We can't get enough mushrooms! When I was a child they were usually served up fried as an accompaniment. It was only when I started to cook that I realized what a very adaptable ingredient they are, especially for those who eat no or little meat.

Often, I use them to create the 'meaty' part of the dish. Chefs and expert cooks agree that they are an invaluable ingredient for us all - so much so that many excellent recipe books are available that feature delicious specialist recipes.

I was delighted to find that these products are available because I first grew them when I was an impoverished student.

My mum gave me a 'mushroom bucket' that was ready to grow - all I had to do was water it occasionally. I kept it under the bed because a dark place was recommended.

That one pack gave me the button variety for months on end and they were fabulous quality too. Plus I knew that they hadn't been sprayed with any weird chemicals. Look at the grow-your-own kits that are available today - it's like magic and kids love them!

All photographs taken by me during the preparation of the dish.

British top chef Jamie Oliver shows us how to properly cook pasta. Should you add salt? Should you add olive oil? Should you stir the pasta when it's cooking? Jamie knows.