Mushroom Marinara Pasta

I never get tired of pasta! And if you browse through my blog you can find so many recipes - rocket pesto papardelle, spaghetti pomodoro, creamy tomato pasta, pasta caprese and many more! Italian food is my weakness and ever since I realized how easy it is to make at home, I keep trying different combinations. This is one such attempt. Marinara sauce is a very basic sauce with tomato, garlic, onions and herbs. It is very versatile and you can pretty much add any other ingredient of your choice to bring out unique flavors; veg as well non veg. I have added mushrooms here. Since my son loves pasta as well, I just served it with some green spinach sautéed in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. Sort of ups the nutrient quotient ;)

As always, I cannot stop myself from saying how easy making a pasta dish is - a wholesome meal ready in a jiffy! Perfect for mommies like me who do not have much time to spare lol

Recipe - Mushroom Marinara Pasta

Ingredients:

• Pasta of your choice (I used farfalle or bow tie) - 1.5 cups 
• White button mushrooms - roughly sliced to make 1.5 cups
• Crushed tomato - 1.5 to 2 cups
• Garlic - 3 cloves, crushed
• Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
• Dried herbs, salt and pepper - to taste
• Butter - 1 tbsp
• Olive oil - 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp

Method:

• Cook pasta as per instructions on the pack. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, warm olive oil and butter in a non stick pan and add the garlic and onions. 
• Saute well till they begin to brown at the edges.
• Add the sliced mushrooms and cook on a medium flam, stirring frequently, till they begin to lose moisture and begin to dry out. Do not let it dry out completely.
• To this add the crushed tomato puree and season with herbs, salt and pepper. Cover and let simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes so that the flavors blend well.
• Do a taste test and adjust the seasoning if required. Add some sugar if you find the sauce bit too tart.
• Add the drained pasta and combine well so that the sauce is uniformly coated. Serve it hot. You can add grated cheese like parmesan if you like.