This is a perfect pasta dish for a cold winter night served with loads of fresh garlic bread and a simple green salad. It is rich and creamy without being heavy. The best part is soaking up the extra sauce with your garlic bread! This dish was truly an invention of necessity. We have made this dish several times but this time the fridge was looking pretty empty so we used a combination of goat cheese and cream cheese and it was AMAZING! The bowl in the picture was my Grandmother’s bowl and it brings back many fond memories of Sunday dinner at her house. She always served pasta this way and bringing a steaming hot bowl of pasta to the table seems incredibly decadent.

INGREDIENTS

Yields: 4 SERVINGS

Prep time: 15 MINUTES

Cook time: 15 MINUTES

Total time: 30 MINUTES

• 1 lb fettuccine

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 24 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 cup chicken broth broth, or more, as needed

• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese*

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

• ½ Calvedos (apple brandy) or any sort of brandy

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (time it so that the pasta finishes cooking right when the sauce is done. Do not drain the water – reserve it for the pasta water)

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned, about 5-6 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.

3. Gradually whisk in chicken broth, rosemary, thyme and basil. Cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes. Add the calvados and cook until slightly reduced. Stir in the heavy cream, and goat cheese until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. With tongs, add the undercooked pasta to the sauce and cook it for a minute or two on a low simmer. If the mixture is too thick, add some of the pasta water as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Test doneness of pasta and continue to cook if not done.

4. Put in a large serving bowl and grate the parmesan cheese on top. Garnish with parsley

5. Serve immediately with more parmesan on the side

NOTES:

*Ricotta, cream cheese or mascarpone can be substituted.