Mushroom Rigatoni Bake

So I quietly slipped this into this week's rotation after reading the review from FFG. Reason for "quietly" was there was no meat. D suggested sausage when he found out, but calorie wise we stuck with mushrooms.

We had 8oz of regular mushrooms so we just bought cremini. D used 16oz of mushrooms total.

D said the directions were stupid using the Dutch Oven. So he didn't use it.

The taste was really rich. I liked we could taste the cheese flavor (even though we used Romana). We will have again.

We had with Caesar Salad.

Mushroom Rigatoni Bake

A full cup of Italian Asiago cheese gives body and flavor to the velvety sauce, which is laced with sherry.

YIELD: 4 servings
COURSE: Casseroles

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked gigli or radiatore pasta (used rigatoni)

2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup sliced shallots
8 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom caps (used regular)
4 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms (used 8oz)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, divided
Cooking spray
Thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well. Set cooked pasta aside.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, 1 tablespoon thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic; sauté 8 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add sherry; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Place flour in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring mixture to a boil; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; add 1/2 cup cheese, stirring until melted. Add pasta and mushroom mixture to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.


Nutritional Information
Calories: 474; Fat: 16g; Saturated fat: 8g; Monounsaturated fat: 4.6g; Polyunsaturated fat: 2.2g; Protein: 21.8g; Carbohydrate: 61.4g; Fiber: 3.3g; Cholesterol: 40mg; Iron: 3.9mg; Sodium: 745mg; Calcium: 386mg


Cooking Light MARCH 2004