rigatoni with creamy mushroom sauce

So I have been in a bit of a cooking rut lately. Maybe it's being pregnant, or tired at the end of the day...but we've been eating the same ol' same ol'. After a yummy pasta dinner at Le Buca last weekend, my good friend Kar told me about one of her favorite Giada recipes. Ahh, sometimes I feel like Giada might be my soulmate. I should've been born Italian - eating pasta everyday, drinking wine at a long table with my fellow loud family members. :) Just the way she pronounces words like "orecchiette" and "fusilli" are with such delicacy and care...I am so happy someone else realizes how vital these words are to our vocabularies! Anyways, Giada is one of my favorite chefs, and I just adore her recipes.

Oh YES, but back to the recipe. So I really have to give Kar the credit for sending it to me because now it'll definitely be a part of my monthly staples. If you are a mushroom lover (or even if you're not, like Jeff), you should still try this!!! THE FLAVOR IS INCREDIBLE. Definitely tastes straight from a restaurant!

May I make a few suggestions...

• Stick with a nice, large rigatoni noodle as the recipe suggests (the bigger ones usually come in a box). Make sure it's cooked to al dente - err on the side of under-done.
• For the men out there, this meal may not be enough. I, as you may know, would be perfectly happy in a meatless world - but when Jeff comes home from a workout at the gym, he wants protein! Jeff's suggestion for next time would be to add some grilled chicken alongside.
• I used mascarpone cheese as the recipe calls for. However, Kar says she used cream cheese and it still was fantastic. Whatever you can find at the store I guess!

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Rigatoni with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

• 1 lb. rigatoni pasta (large)
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 lb. assorted mushrooms (cremini, shitake, and button), cleaned and sliced
• 1/2 c. white wine
• 1/2 c. vegetable/chicken stock
• 1 c. (8 oz) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan
• 1/4 c. chopped chives

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking:
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Turn the heat to high. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes until all the liquid evaporates. Add the stock and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese. Stir until creamy. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water, and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the mushroom mixture and the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss well to coat pasta, adding the reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the chopped chives (I didn't). Serve immediately (my biggest pet peeve is letting pasta sit for too long after cooking!).