Dinner for Three — Penne with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Rosemary

Once upon a time, my husband and I liked to eat dinner every night around nine. And we did this for years and years. Then one day Miss Milia was born and everything changed. Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. Everything did change, but we continued to eat dinner every night around nine.

Typically Michael gets home from work just after seven, and the idea has been to get Emilia in bed no later than eight. That doesn't leave much time for 'hello, how was your day?'/dinner/bath/bottle/books. And besides, it isn't exactly relaxing eating all together in the evening. I've much preferred unwinding with dinner once the munchkin is in bed.

However, this is something I am trying very hard to change. Emilia is nearly two and it is important to eat together as a family. That means I've been on the lookout for good dinners that don't take a week to make. Also, it is a bonus if Emilia will actually eat it. It warms my heart to no end hearing her say, 'Mmmm, dinner yummy!', or just to watch her sit quietly and enjoy her food. Admittedly, she was not the biggest fan of the mushrooms in this pasta. She ate around them, and would spit them out when I inadvertently got one into her mouth. But she ate everything else. (I figure if I keep trying, she will eventually acquire the taste. Maybe?) And she was in bed by 8:30.

As a side note, not only is this pasta delicious (despite the reaction from your 22-month-old) and easy to make, it is also inexpensive. The recipe calls for a pound of mushrooms, and I did a mix of white button (because, strangely, Whole Foods was out of Cremini), shitake, and oyster — costing just over ten dollars. That means when you add the pasta and what not, the main dish costs about fifteen bucks. Not bad. (It is also helpful if you have an enormous rosemary bush in your backyard, like we do, as fresh herbs don't come cheap.) And for us, anyway, it yielded enough leftovers to torture Emilia with the next day. Perfect.

Penne with Mushrooms, Garlic, and Rosemary

¼ cup olive oil

1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons very finely chopped rosemary

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pound penne

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a skillet large enough to hold all the pasta, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and rosemary. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms render their juices, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often until the mushrooms are lightly brown, about 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add some salt and then the pasta. Stir well, and cook until al dente. Before draining, pull aside a little bit of the cooking water.

Drain the pasta and toss in the pan with the mushrooms, butter, and parsley. Add a little of the water if it seems dry. Serve immediately. (Recipe from: 1,000 Italian Recipes by Michele Scicolone. John Wiley Publishing, 2004.)