Saturday 15 March 2014

Creamy Fusilli and Mushroom Dinner




I usually think of clotted cream as a traditional partner for scones and strawberry jam but today I discovered that  it could also be used to create a creamy pasta dish .

Our local IE Produce had some Clearwater's clotted cream on special  so I also gathered up some mushrooms, basil and pine nuts and  stirred them into some pasta. To offset the rich  creamy flavour I added a little lemon juice.

When this dish has finished baking the top layer of macaroni  had developed a little crunch which made it especially good to eat. The garnish of shredded basil added a bright green colour contrast.

Serves3-4.

Ingredients:

250g of fusilli pasta spirals
200g white mushrooms
225g of Clearwater's Clotted Cream
A handful of basil leaves (shredded)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and  freshly ground pepper to taste
50g of sharp cheddar cheese ( or a mixture of cheddar and parmesan)
4 tbsp of pine nuts ( toasted)


Method:


Boil the pasta in plenty salted water until al dente ( about 6-7 minutes), then drain
Slice the mushrooms finely
Shred the basil leaves
Put the pasta, mushrooms and basil in a large bowl.
Stir in the clotted cream, lemon juice and half of the grated cheese.
Season to taste with salt and freshly grated black pepper.
Place in a 22 cm  ovenproof dish.
Heat through in a 180C oven for about 20 minutes until it is piping hot and the cheese is a golden brown.
In the meantime toast the pine nuts in a dry fry pan . (Be careful they burn easily)
Before serving sprinkle the nuts over the top.
Garnish with plenty of slivered basil before serving.

This is quite a rich dish so I like to serve small helpings with a large salad made with baby spinach leaves, avocado, slices of orange and tomato.















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