Pasta with half and half cream and mushrooms

I LOVE PASTA ! 

Whatever the kind of sauce, whatever the form, I live a wonderful love story with pasta. 

I keep, from my life in Italy, some gustative feelings and surprises that I won’t never forget. 

I remember, of course, coffee. 

A tiny cup with an extract of coffee so strong that the first time I drunk it, I thought I was losing my oesophagus !

When I came back to France, each cup of coffee seemed water for me. 

I remember the “Panettone” counter of my supermarket, for Christmas ! In France, in the east south (close to Italy), you find easily panettone for Xmas, in supermarket, of course (even during the year).

But in Italy, I remember ENTIRE counter, panettone, on each side, from bottom to top. I’m totally addicted to panettone. I’m not kidding. 

This is something I avoid to buy, because I’m able to eat one entire panettone during breakfast, for example. 

I bake Tiramisù, the favourite dessert of my son.

Cheeses, diabolic cheeses ! Pecorino, Parmeggiano, Mascarpone, Gorgonzola…

My Italian teacher told me, one day :

“You know that Zola, the French author wasn’t French. He was Italian. And his real name wasn’t Emile. It was Gorgon, Gorgon Zola.”

Ice cream … Rrrrrhhhhhooooaaaa, ice cream ! Even in France, we call them “Gelati”, to not mix up with classic ice cream. 

And of course, the queen of Italian cook : Les pâtes ! 

I ate tonnes of pasta. So many different sauces and so many way of cooking them !

There’s no limit for pasta, except your imagination.

On the same time, it’s considered as a friendly dish. You must have pasta in your kitchen cupboard. 

If ten friends come unexpectedly, you always can make a quick dish of pasta. 

If you’re tired and don’t want to cook, you always can make a quick dish of pasta.

If you’re tight with money, you always can make a quick dish of pasta.

Pasta are our friends ! 

I cook pasta very often. Even when I’ve got guests. You can make all you want with pasta. 

I’ll post very soon a simple dish with lemon and salmon. 

But today, for the first time since several month, the sky  is grey and it’s colder than before.  

So my body wants pasta, cream and Parisian mushroom. 

I didn't have fresk mushroom, so I used cans. 

But you can use any kind of mushroom you like.

Here what you'll need : 

• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 20 cl of half and half (Thanks Dr CaSo ;))
• 200 grammes of mushroom
• Olive oil
• Pasta
• A washed lemon 
• And some parsley.

Step 1 : 

Now, you know me : everything begins with olive oil, onion and garlic. On a low fire, in olive oil and salt, make brown the onion. 

Step 2 : 

When they are golden, add the garlic.

Step 3 : 

After 3 - 4 minutes more, add the mushroom and make them brown too.

Step 4 : 

In the meantime, make boil your water, and if you've got, put a vegetables cube.

Step 5 : 

When your mushrooms are brown, pour the cream and grab the lemon.

Let boil 5 minutes, not more. Salt and pepper, of course.

Step 6 : 

Dredge with parsley.

Step 7 :

When your pasta is ready, add to the mixture one cup of pasta's water. The starch will help to thicken the sauce.

Stir with pasta, and it's ready ! I'm hungry ! 

Récapitulative : 

• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 20 cl of half and half (Thanks Dr CaSo ;))
• 200 grammes of mushroom
• Olive oil
• Pasta
• A washed lemon 
• And some parsley.

On a low fire, in olive oil and salt, make brown the onion. 

When they are golden, add the garlic.

After 3 - 4 minutes more, add the mushroom and make them brown too.

In the meantime, make boil your water, and if you've got, put a vegetables cube.

When your mushrooms are brown, pour the cream and grab the lemon.

Let boil 5 minutes, not more. Salt and pepper, of course.

Dredge with parsley.

When your pasta is ready, add to the mixture one cup of pasta's water. The starch will help to thicken the sauce.

Stir with pasta, and it's ready ! I

Pumpkin velouté (velouté de potimarron)

As I told some times ago, I don’t buy my vegetables in supermarket but to a farmer. 

Each week, I have a basket with carrots, eggplants, zucchini, potatoes …etc …

Year ago, I bought a "potimarron". 

I don't know if the english word exists. It's a kind of pumpkin but smaller, with a sweet hazel taste.

I mean, for the first time, I bought it to eat it ! I used to buy it just for decoration. 

It reminds me Halloween, even if we don't celebrate it really, in France. But for me, it seems to help to cross over the beginning of fall, the lost of summer. It’s a step between summer and Christmas. 

For several years, in France, we tried to celebrate Halloween. But it never really had success. 

The commercial part was more important than the culture and festive part. And it failed. 

Today, some children still try to have candies but they’re very few. 

So I have to eat my potimarron, instead of using it as a decoration.

Here’s a tasty recipe of potimarron velouté.

You'll need : 

• 1 potimarron (weight 1 kg or so)
• 3 beautiful potatoes
• 1 big onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 liter of milk (better to use 1 liter, but I just had 1/2 liter at home)
• 3 tablespoon of semi heavy cream. 
• chives (frozen, for me)

Step 1 : 

Wash the pumpkin. Cut it up in two and scoop out it with a tablespoon.

Step 2 : 

Being very careful, cut it up in pieces. No need to peel it ! Thanks God ! 

Step 3 : 

Slice your onion and make it brown in olive oil. Salt and low fire.

Step 4 : 

Cut your garlic and add it to the onion, when this one is golden. 

Step 5 :

Add your potimmaron.

Step 6 :

Peel potatoes and carrot, cut them up and pour them in. The carrot will give a sugared flavor to your dish. You can also add a tablespoon of white sugar, if you like.

Step 7 :

Pour the milk and the same quantity of WATER. 

Step 8 : 

The 3 tablespoons of cream. 

Step 9 :

Salt and pepper and cover the dish. 

On a low fire, let it cook for one hour. Take off the lid when it will begin to boil.

Here what it looks like after one hour.

Step 10 : 

Once ago, I told you blender was my best friend.

Step 11 : 

Dredge some chives. Or any kind of herbs you like : parsley, basil ...

Some gruyère, if you have. If you don't, some cheddar. But not too much, it could hide the taste of the mixture.

Récapitulative : 

• 1 potimarron (weight 1 kg or so)
• 3 beautiful potatoes
• 1 big onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 liter of milk (better to use 1 liter, but I just had 1/2 liter at home)
• 3 tablespoon of semi heavy cream. 
• chives (frozen, for me)

Wash the pumpkin. Cut it up in two and scoop out it with a tablespoon.

Being very careful, cut it up in pieces. No need to peel it ! 

Slice your onion and make it brown in olive oil. Salt and low fire.

Cut your garlic and add it to the onion, when this one is golden. 

Add your potimarron.

Peel potatoes and carrot, cut them up and pour them in. The carrot will give a sugared flavor to your dish. You can also add a tablespoon of white sugar, if you like.

Pour the milk and the same quantity of water. 

Pour the 3 tablespoons of cream. 

Salt and pepper and cover the dish. 

On a low fire, let it cook for one hour. Take off the lid when it will begin to boil.

Let's blend.

Dredge some chives. Or any kind of herbs you like : parsley, basil.