Last week, I had my cousin over for dinner. He is strictly vegetarian and we were both craving pasta, but it was a chilly night and we needed something hearty to warm us up. I found this no-cream mushroom ragu recipe and simplified it a bit for my taste. It was delicious and tasted almost gourmet! A great cold-weather dish when you’re not in the mood for meat.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
-1 cup vegetable broth
-1 cup white (or red) wine
-2 tblspns butter, divided
-3 8-ounce packages of white button or portobello mushrooms, washed and chopped
-4 shallots, minced
-4 cloves of garlic, minced
-3 tblspns flour
-1/2 cup chopped parsley
-Salt and black pepper

Directions:
-Heat a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat
-Add the chopped mushrooms and let sit, without stirring, for about 4 minutes or until they have thoroughly browned on one side
-Stir and let them cook on the other side – again, without stirring – for about four minutes
-Add the shallots and garlic
-Turn the heat to low, and cook until they are all fragrant and soft
-Add the second tablespoon of butter and, when melted, add the flour
-Stir rapidly, letting the flour thicken with the butter into a paste (have a whisk ready!)
-Slowly pour in the vegetable broth and white wine, whisking rapidly
-Cook over medium-low heat, whisking, until the mixture thickens until it is the consistency of a thick gravy
-Add the chopped parsley, stirring until wilted
-Season to taste with salt and pepper
-Serve immediately over pasta
-Enjoy!