Portobello mushrooms were on special at the market this week, which inspired this budget-friendly and satisfying pasta for a meatless main course.  Serve with a hearty green salad for a quick and delicious week night dinner.

Penne with Portobello Mushrooms

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 ounces fresh (small) Portobello mushrooms
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup dry white wine (or combination of wine and chicken stock)

12 ounces penne

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Wipe mushrooms with a dry paper towel to clean them. Don’t wash them! Trim off the bottom of the stem along with any bad parts, and slice the mushroom with the caps 1/4-inch thick (bite-sized pieces). Set aside.
2. In a small stockpot or medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the chopped onions; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes, add garlic and stir for one minute.  Add the mushrooms and thyme sprigs, salt and pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add wine and broth if using, bring to a boil, reduce the heat medium, simmer until liquids are reduced by half and vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook, pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Place pasta in a serving bowl and top with mushroom mixture. Add ½ of the grated Parmesan cheese. Toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with using, remaining Parmesan cheese as a garnish.

  Note from the cook: I used whole wheat penne pasta and served the mushroom mixture on top of the pasta. Per my usual preference, I cooked with Evolution Wine from Sokol Blosser (a nod to my former home in Oregon).

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Guest Columnist: Kitri McGuire, Sokol Blosser Winery

As we enter 2009, Mama Says is pleased to kick-off a series of guest column features. Several times each month we will invite a variety of experts, friends and family to shares innovative ideas, thrifty tips, WOW gift ideas and scrumptious recipes.

In a Mama Says Thanksgiving column we mentioned pairing turkey with Evolution Wine from Sokol Blosser Winery.  That was the beginning of a wonderful relationship. We are pleased to have Kitri McGuire,Sokol Blosser marketing communications manager, as our first guest columnist. Mark your calendars, Evolution 13th Edition is scheduled for release on March 1, 2009 and will hit stores in the US soon after that!  In the meantime, chill, pour, sip Evolution 12 and enjoy some dessert.

Easy, Impressive, and Thrifty Poached Pear Dessert                                   - Kitri McGuire

To me, the key to great entertaining is being able to actually enjoy time with my guests!  If I’m slaving away in the kitchen, sweating over the timing of the courses or how I possibly could have forgotten 1⁄4 teaspoon of some specialty herb that makes or breaks a dish, it’s not fun.  So, I’m always on the lookout for simple yet extraordinary recipes that don’t require a lot of fuss or special, expensive ingredients.

A friend told me about this recipe for poached pears in Mirielle Guiliano’s book, French Women Don’t Get Fat, and I just had to try it with Evolution wine from Sokol Blosser Winery, where I work. It was fabulous!  The best thing about the dessert is that I was able to easily prepare it before my guests arrived, then refrigerate the pears until I was ready to assemble the ingredients and serve.  Best of all, there was half a bottle of Evolution left over after the recipe, which I poured as a “dessert wine” for my guests.  You can learn more about Evolution wine at www.sokolblosser.com.  Enjoy, and cheers!

Poached Pears in Evolution

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups Evolution wine

1⁄2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 Bosc pears, peeled, halved, then cored

4 scoops of vanilla ice cream, or homemade whipped cream

Directions

1. Ina heavy saucepan, bring the Evolution wine and sugar to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 5 more minutes.

2. Add the lemon juice and pears.  Flip the pears to make sure all sides are covered with the Evolution “juices”.  Cook for 10 minutes over medium to low flame.  Cool and refrigerate.

3. Bring the pears to room temperature before serving.  Add 1 scoop vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream to each serving.  Or, for extra luxury, serve each pear in a little pool of melted dark chocolate.

Thanks, Kitri. Best for 2009, Lynn & Iris