This Three Cheese Baked Mushroom Pasta is chic and comforting, perfect for the holidays or a chilly evening dinner.
Created with De Cecco
This post has been sponsored by De Cecco Authentic Italian Pasta. My love for the brand is all my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Cooking In Stilettos possible.
On a chilly evening, there is nothing better than a pan of baked pasta hot out of the oven. The browned cheesy pasta with crisp edges on the top peels away to uncover a creamy sauce laden pasta for the ultimate comforting bite. In my house, it takes some skilled negotiation for those crisp edges. Of course, when you are the chef, you might be able to claim seniority but that’s an argument for another day.
Today I’m thrilled to share a delicious vegetarian pasta dish that is fabulous for the holiday menu or days when you want a meat-free dish – a Three Cheese Baked Mushroom Pasta that is made a little lighter but tastes oh so decadent.
If you open my pantry, you will see that I have a thing for cavatappi pasta – specifically De Cecco cavatappi pasta. It’s one of the first dried pastas I reach for whenever I’m in the mood to make pasta. De Cecco is a premium Italian pasta brand that is delicious on its own or complimented with a sauce. It never gets mushy or falls apart– even if you cook it a minute or two over because you were browsing Snapchat at the stove (not that I’ve ever done that *cough*). De Cecco pasta is a durum semolina pasta that always comes out perfectly al dente and stands up well in baked pasta dishes. While I keep a number of different types of De Cecco pasta in the pantry, there is something about the curly q-esque shape of the cavatappi pasta that has me enamored – it’s fun yet chic and my guests always seem to love it.
One of the things I love about De Cecco cavatappi pasta – these ridges. Seriously – look at these ridges. Now picture them holding on to this creamy cheese laden sauce. That’s what those ridges are meant for – well, besides providing a bit of texture of course. It is one of the most used dried pastas in my house. Now, that doesn’t mean I love the other types any less – I just find it fun. Plus – you all know how I am about using quality ingredients and De Cecco is one of those brands that I know delivers a stellar dish every single time.
This Three Cheese Baked Mushroom Pasta recipe is so easy but tastes like you worked on it for hours. It’s the perfect multi-tasking recipe. While the pasta is bubbling away, you can make the herbed mushrooms that are peppered throughout the dish. I went with two different types of mushrooms – baby bella and shitake – for the perfect balance of earthy and meaty. To add more dimension to the dish, I combined a buttery fontina cheese with a smoky mozzarella and then a salty parmesan. The sauce tastes like it is packed with cheese but the amounts are much smaller than if you were doing a standard mac ‘n cheese which, of course, cuts the calories. The three cheese combination works in harmony with each other and the freshly grated nutmeg in the sauce is a must. Then just bake everything in the oven and bring the pan steaming hot to the table. Your guests will go wild.
This Three Cheese Baked Mushroom Pasta will be one of those baked pasta dishes that you will find yourself making often. It’s chic enough for the holidays, perfect for a potluck or comforting for a chilly winter’s evening. This pasta bake will be a family favorite for years to come!
On to the recipe:
Gather your ingredients
Browning the mushrooms – love this combination
Whisking the cheese into the silky sauce
Look at this lovely hot out of the oven
My heavens this is gorgeous
Look at the layers
Shall I make you a plate?
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