Fusili in a Garlic Mushroom Sauce

I’ve already extolled the virtues of mushrooms in another blog post, so it would be a waste of space to do it here. So let’s talk about the much maligned garlic. People shy away from garlic-flavored-anything cause of the strong smell. Even a big wad of gum can’t get rid of it easily. But if you knew that garlic is fantastic for a healthy heart and even ups your immunity, you would probably give it a second chance. I on the other hand, am a lover of garlic. Give me stinky garlicky nosh every day. :) Actually this isn’t a stinky dish at all. It’s so earthy and comforting that it reminds you of rain on a hot summer day. Poetic huh? The fusili on the other hand adds the ‘twist’ to the tale. The End.

Fusili in a Garlic Mushroom Sauce

Prep time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

200 gms Mushrooms (diced)

10 cloves of Garlic (chopped)

11/2 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 cups Milk

2 Tbsp Flour

50 gms Cheddar Cheese (grated)

1 Tbsp mixed herbs (oregano, parsley etc.)

Salt and Pepper

350 gms Fusili

Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated to serve)

What to do:

Heat oil; add butter let it sizzle. Toss in the garlic; sauté but don’t brown. Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté for 2 mins. Coat the mushrooms with flour; stir till incorporated. Slowly add in 1 cup milk; stir to ensure no lumps. Simmer for 2 mins. The sauce will thicken. Add the remaining milk and stir till the sauce coats the back of the spoon. Toss in the herbs, seasoning and grated cheese. Stir till smooth and glossy. In the meantime bring a big pot of salted water to the boil. Toss in pasta and cook till al dente. (or according to instructions on the packet). Reserve some liquid and drain the pasta. Mix with the mushroom sauce. Add some reserved liquid to get the desired consistency. Serve hot garnished with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. Earthy!

Spaghetti Chicken Bolognaise

Bolognaise Sauce is a thick meat and tomato sauce served with pasta (usually spaghetti), originally from the city of Bologna in Northern Italy. The sauce is also known as Ragũ and traditionally contains chopped ham, beef, lean pork, chicken livers, several vegetables and white wine. The recipe I have is a special hand crafted one. (So let’s put it this way…I’ve tweaked the recipe to suit what was there at home and it turned out just fine). My star ingredient was the humble chicken (substituting the ham, beef and pork). I deserve credit for making the bolognaise sauce friendly for people who don’t eat red meat :)

Spaghetti Chicken Bolognaise

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 40 mins

Serves: 4-6

What you need:

400 gms Chicken Mince

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Onions (finely chopped)

2 Carrots (diced small)

8 Garlic cloves (finely chopped)

1 Celery Stem (finely chopped)

4 Tomatoes (finely chopped)

8 Tbsp Tomato Puree

2 Tbsp Ketchup

2 tsps Chili flakes

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Parsley

400 gms Spaghetti

Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated to serve)

Salt and Pepper

What to do:

Heat oil add garlic and then onion, carrot, celery and chili flakes. Saute well but don’t let the onions brown. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 mins. Add Chicken mince and sauté for 3 mins. Add the tomato puree and ketchup, mix well. Toss in sugar, herbs and seasoning. Cook for 2 mins. Add 1 cup of water and stir to get a thick sauce. Cook to desired consistency.

Meanwhile, bring a large heavy bottomed pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta return to a boil and cook for 10 mins, or until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain, transfer to a warmed serving dish, Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss well. Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve with grated parmesan cheese. Hearty and Tasty!

P.S. For a version closer to the original, substitute 400 gms chicken mince with 100 gms lean Bacon, 100 gms Chicken livers, 100 gms pork and 100 gms beef. You can also add in ½ cup white wine after sautéing the meat.