Fusilli Pasta in a Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce with Grilled Cajun Chicken

Somedays I used to eat lunch at Pallino Pastaria. I fell absolutely in love with their "Forest Mushroom with Penne and Grilled Chicken." The menu describes this dish as 'an earthy combination of portobello, field and porcini mushrooms sauteed with onions, cream, and thyme. But I knew if I could love their version of the dish, I could make it even better at home, which I have successfully done! This is a quick and easy dish to make and I've made it several times before. The first time I made it I knew it already topped Pallino's dish. The combination of the mushrooms, herbs, and shallots smell so wonderful in the pan, you're almost tempted to just stop there and eat the mushrooms alone. But trust me, you'll want to continue assembling the rest of the dish. Last night's version was absolutely the best I have made. We serve it with grilled Cajun seasoned Chicken, but you could leave the chicken out for a lighter meal. I hope you try this dish and if you do, please let me know how it turned out. :) Last night I had a brain lapse and forgot to boil my water before adding the pasta. I added my uncooked pasta to my stockpot, added enough water to cover and added salt to the water. Put it on to boil and about halfway through I realized what I had done. I let it continue cooking and I must say, there wasn't a differenc from the way I normally cook it. Ron likes his pasta softer than 'al-dente' so after it became 'al-dente', I removed it from the heat and let it sit in the water until the rest of dinner was ready. It was the perfect texture for him. Fusilli Pasta with Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce with Grilled Cajun Chicken Serves 4 12 ounces Fusilli pasta (or whatever pasta you can find, Penne works great too) 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms, sliced (I like mine sliced on the thick side) 1/4 cup diced shallots 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon Kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (fresh really is the best) 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the cream, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. (My note:If your sauce is too thin, add a little flour (1-2 tablespoons) to thicken it up. When it thickens add a little of the pasta water to thin it back out. This really flavors it.) Add the Parmesan and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Add the pasta, stir to coat with the sauce, and cook until the pasta is heated through, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and divide among 4 serving bowls or plates. Sprinkle each serving with chives and serve immediately. The recipe above was adapted from Emeril Lagasse's Orchiette Pasta with Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce. Grilled Cajun Chicken by Ron Take boneless, skinless chicken breasts and coat with a cajun seasoning mix. Grill on the grill about 8 minutes on each side. (Your grill may take longer than mine, make sure yours are done before you eat them). Slice on the bias and serve on top of pasta or leave whole and eat with other side dishes. Print-Friendly Recipe: Fusilli Pasta with Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce Grilled Cajun Chicken Menu Thirty for 2006: Fusilli Pasta with Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce Grilled Cajun Chicken 2 new recipes today 25 new recipes for 2006 Blog | Food | Food Blog | Food Blogs | Pasta | Menu Planning | Chicken | Cooking | Homemade | Mushrooms | Parmesan |