This is a wonderful vegetarian recipe, but if you are a meat lover, you can add cooked cubed beef to create a delicious pasta dish with meat.  Our version was meatless, and we loved it.  First time I’ve made this tasty dish.

Ingredients

2-3 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

2 large portabella mushrooms, stems and gills removed and chopped into cubes, plus 4-8 ounces crimini or other smaller mushrooms 

2-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour (I used gluten-free)

1/2 cup dry red wine (you can also use white wine, if you prefer, but I like the rich color and taste red adds)

1 T balsamic vinegar

2 T soy sauce (I used gluten-free)

3/4 cup vegetable broth (you can use chicken broth as well)

1/2-3/4 cup sour cream (depends on how creamy you want it)

3 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

12-16 ounces wide egg noodles or pappardelle (I didn’t have any, so used gluten-free spaghetti)

Directions

In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and sauté until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1-2 minutes; add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they have softened and released most of their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir to incorporate. Stir in the wine and let sizzle for a minute.  Add broth, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, cooking until most of the alcohol has evaporated and sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the sour cream and the 2 Tbs. parsley. Season with salt and pepper. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. 

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Warm briefly over low heat to blend the flavors. Add cooking water if necessary (I didn’t need to add any) to loosen the sauce, garnish with parsley and serve immediately. Serves 4. 

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, One Pot, by Carrolyn Carreño (Oxmoor House, 2008).