One-Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta

and I want your book recs!

Hi! Welcome to “good mood food” from Kale Me Maybe’s Carina Wolff. If you’ve made it here and aren’t yet a subscriber, come join! You can expect recipes, musings, and faves in your inbox every Wednesday! Paid subscribers get even more! Learn more about my paid membership here. You can also try a week for free!

CATCH UP!

The weather has been gorgeous here in LA and it is putting me in a great mood. I’ve been a busy bee, but in a good way. I’ve been trying to film a bunch of recipes before we leave for Mexico City, and we’ve also been really ramping up training with Willow. We are seeing amazing improvements with her now that we are at the six-month mark since adopting her. I love seeing her just relaxing calmly around the house and being so loving, and she really is such an amazing pup. Separation anxiety training is going sloooooow though, but we are sticking with it!

I think I mentioned this before, but Grant and I had a deal that after we finished watching Mad Men together, we were going to go back to reading only before bed, and I’ve been sooo happy with this decision! I sleep so much better this way, and I’m back to flying through books. If you have any books you’ve been reading and loving, please comment below so I can add them to my list!

That’s really it for this week! :)

THINGS I’M LOVING!

The book club I’m a part of in LA finally started up again after a brief pandemic-driven hiatus, and the first book pick of this year was “Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin. I was surprised by how much I loved this book given that the story revolves around two gamers, but it was so beautifully written, and I soared through it. I actually loved that it was a topic I don’t typically gravitate toward; it made it feel fresh and novel (a novel novel). 5/5 stars from me!

I am in my thirties, so between my friends, there is a lot of baby talk. Whether you want kids now or later, I think it’s essential to learn about your body and cycles without fear-mongering or wellness BS. I loved this episode of the Blonde Files, “All About Fertility with Dr. Natalie Crawford.” I thought Dr. Crawford did a great job of giving evidence-based info along with lifestyle tips to help you feel empowered about your fertility whether you are looking to have kids now or in the future.

I started doing in-person workouts again (another return from a pandemic break), and it has been SO fun. I’ve been using ClassPass, and I love that I get to switch up my workouts. There’s just a different energy going to a class. I’ve mostly been doing hot yoga and pilates, and it feels amazing. This isn’t sponsored (although ClassPass, if you wanna sponsor me, hit me up!!!!), but I do have a “friends” link that gives you a month free with bonus credits!

RECIPE!

I woke up the other day and decided it had been too long since I’d eaten mushrooms. I know they’re more of a spring vegetable, but mushrooms feel warm and cozy. They’ve got a hearty, tender energy that feels appropriate for the cooler seasons.

I’ve been feeling all up on the food trends lately, so I figured it was time to make a one-pot pasta, and mushrooms felt like the right addition. The concept of a one-pot pasta is pretty obvious: everything goes in one pot. But what’s extra cool about it is that you cook the pasta with all the other ingredients, so it works especially well for anything you want to taste extra melded together and creamy.

I used this Tasty recipe as the base (with a few of my own modifications), and I added in some mushies for a more textural and flavorful dish. I can now confidently declare that I am a fan of one-pot pasta dishes. I think cooking the pasta in vegetable broth definitely feels like something I’m going to do often.

I used a mix of maitake and shitake mushrooms here, but I think oyster mushrooms would work well too. You can use white button or cremini mushrooms too, but the dish will have a slightly less potent, mushroom-y flavor.

One-Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 shallot, thinly sliced

• 4 oz maitake mushrooms

• 6 oz shitake mushrooms

• Splash of white wine (optional)

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 1 cup whole milk

• 8 oz pasta of choice (I used Trofie)

• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Salt & pepper

• Fresh parsley, to top

1. Heat butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 4-5 minutes until they’ve just begun to soften.

2. Turn the heat to medium-high, and add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes undisturbed, then stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes until mushrooms have begun to caramelize. You can add a splash of white wine here if you’d like to deglaze the pan.

3. Add the vegetable stock, milk, and pasta, and season with salt and pepper. Mix together, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for around 15 minutes or until pasta is just tender but al dente, stirring occasionally. Every pasta is different, so start checking around 11-12 minutes. You may need longer than 15 minutes depending on your pasta type.

4. Remove from heat and mix in the Parmesan. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper, if needed/desired. Transfer to bowls and top with more Parmesan, black pepper, and some chopped fresh parsley.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!

Last week, paid subscribers received a special Preserved Lemon Tutorial, which included a recipe and an exclusive how-to video! I’m going to release another recipe at the end of the month using our homemade preserved lemons, so be sure to join so you can cook along with us!

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