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Tomato and Mascarpone pasta with mushroom

If you’re after some tasty comfort food during the cold months, try out this vegetarian tomato and mascarpone pasta with mushroom. It’s filling, tasty and easy to make, particularly if you make the sauce in advance (you can refrigerate it up to 3 days or just freeze it). I sometimes add spinach or curly kale to the mushrooms too. By the way, I normally use chestnut mushrooms for this recipe, but other types would work too, such as button, white closed cup, oyster, woodland etc.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 300 g dried pasta of your choice gluten-free, if needed
  • For the sauce:
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 2 celery sticks
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 Tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 3 Tbsp mascarpone
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs parsley or basil
  • For the mushrooms:
  • 150 g mushrooms
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Drop of water

Method
 

  1. Cook the pasta according to the packet instruction then drain saving the cooking water.
  2. Meanwhile, chop the onion, garlic, celery and carrot.
  3. In a pot, heat the oil then gently sauté these chopped veggies for about 10 minutes, until soft.
  4. Add the herbs, tomato purée and red wine vinegar. Stir until it becomes a bit sticky.
  5. Then add the chopped tomatoes and, using the tin, add some of the pasta’s cooking water.
  6. Bring to the boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add some fresh herbs (basil or parsley) then purée the stew with a hand-held blender.
  7. If you want a super smooth sauce, strain it through a strainer, then put it back in the pan.
  8. Add the mascarpone, a drop of cooking water and stir until you get a creamy sauce. Set aside or cool.
  9. Thinly slice the mushrooms and chop the garlic.
  10. Heat the oil in a saucepan, then gently sauté the mushrooms under cover for 5-8 minutes, until they release their jus. Add the garlic, stir for a minute, then add a splash of water and put the lid back on. (At this point you could add a large handful of spinach or curly kale too).
  11. Simmer for another five minutes.
  12. Reheat the tomato & mascarpone sauce, then add the mushroom mixture.
  13. Combine well, then add the cooked pasta gradually, and gently toss until the pasta has warmed through.