Scrumptious Sundays

Fettuccine with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts

Cooking Light - Jan/Feb 2011

Very rarely does a "Pasta of the Month" recipe go unnoticed at our house. We use the excuse that it would be a great pre-race recipe...and then we make it no where near a race. This was also featured as a superfast recipe. I would say easily took less than 20 minutes to make, partnered with a fresh veggie - it was a great meal!

Roasted/chopped hazelnuts - slice garlic - pre-sliced mushrooms

Fresh pasta, we bought Buitoni kept in the refrigerated section at our grocery store.

When a recipe calls for fresh herbs, 99% of the time we make a point of buying fresh. It really does make a difference.

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture, about 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1 tablespoon hazelnuts)

Ingredients

1. 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine
2. 1 tablespoon butter (we use olive oil)
3. 1/4 cup chopped blanched hazelnuts
4. 1 tablespoon olive oil
5. 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6. 3 (4-ounce) packages presliced exotic mushroom blend
7. 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
8. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
9. 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
10. 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved
11. 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Preparation

1. 1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid.
2. 2. While water for pasta comes to a boil, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add hazelnuts to pan; sauté for 3 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add garlic and mushrooms to pan; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Sauté mushroom mixture for 5 minutes; stir in sage. Add pasta, reserved cooking liquid, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan; toss well to combine. Remove from heat; top with cheese, toasted hazelnuts, and chives.

Hazelnuts aren't easy to find and can be very expensive. We went to Sprouts where they sell them in the bulk. For a large handful it was only a few dollars.