Over the last few weeks its been one of those where you just don’t realise where the time has gone. October? That’s less than 90 days till Christmas! I have my days where I obsess about salads, veg and high protein dishes to pull me through my week at work and at the gym, but sometimes I believe you need to take some time, cook something you just really feel like enjoying, not necessarily what your body needs, but what you just WANT!
On days like these I tend to stroll lazily through the supermarket looking for something interesting, or sometimes just some veg or food I wouldn’t normally have on my weekly shopping list. I always find something that inspires me to create a new dish or even new twist on an old dish.
This week, I present to you my lumaconi. In this case, it really IS all about the pasta!! I love it with a light, zesty sauce, and not drenched in cream. Surprisingly, I’ve received a number of compliments for this simple little dish. Today, slow down a bit, but some music on, pour yourself a beautiful glass of wine and start cooking. Take your time. Don’t rush. I believe this dish is all about the love you put into it.
Zesty exotic mushroom, spinach & feta lumaconi
Ingredients
juice and zest of 1 x lemon
1 x pack of baby spinach leaves
250g mix of fresh exotic mushrooms, very roughly chopped
1 x tablespoon of butter + 1 teaspoon of butter
1/2 x glass of dry white wine
250g of soft, greek feta cheese
3 x tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan or pecorino
1/2 cup of reserved pasta water
salt & pepper to taste
Add your butter to a heated pan and allow to melt. Gently start frying your mushrooms. Remember, if you don’t give mushrooms space, they wont brown.
Fry your mushrooms until brown. Now remove the mushrooms from the pan and blanch your spinach in the remaining butter and mushroom juices.
Remove the spinach and place aside. Add the teaspoon of butter and turn up the heat. Now add your mushrooms back in the pan again.
Add the white wine, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix through. Allow the liquid to reduce and then set aside to cool.
Now start cooking your pasta according to the packet instructions, making sure to cook it 4 minutes less than stated on the packet.
When this is done, reserve half a cup of the pasta water, keep aside and drain your pasta.
Add the spinach to the mushroom mixture & crumble your feta into the spinach and mushroom mixture.
Now put it back on the heat. Add the pasta and start mixing it through gently, slowly adding the reserved pasta water.
The pasta water will mix with the feta, allowing a gentle thickened sauce.
All you need to do now is flavour it with freshly ground black pepper and a few pinches of salt.
Time to dish up!
Sprinkle over the grated parmesan, take a sip of your wine and enjoy!