recipe: rigatoni with cremini, asparagus, walnuts and mascarpone

[yum -- crisp, green asparagus.]

this is one of my favorite pasta dishes – another giada de laurentiis recipe that i came across via foodnetwork.com and have adjusted to suit my own tastes (i use rigatoni instead of farfalle). it’s yummy, quick, creamy, easy and very rustic – you can easily adjust the measurements to serve one person or 10 (this version serves six to eight). bon appetite.

rigatoni with asparagus, mushrooms, walnuts and mascarpone

1 pound rigatoni
3 tbsp. butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed, cut crosswise
1 cup mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup freshly greated parmesan
nutmeg, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. add the rigatoni and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally. drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. add the mushrooms and sauté until tender and most of the juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes. add the asparagus and sauté until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. add the rigatoni. stir in the mascarpone and nutmeg and toss until the cheese coats the pasta, adding the reserved cooking liquid 1/4 cup at a time to moisten. stir in 1/2 cup of walnuts. season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. mound the pasta in a large bowl. sprinkle with the parmesan and remaining 1/4 cup of walnuts. serve.

[coming up this afternoon, our “going green” post – and tomorrow, in place of a guest blog, “stuff i love today” and possibly another little something. we’ll be back on our regular schedule on thursday. thanks for bearing with me!]