Pasta with Mushroom Cream Sauce

I used to make my own pasta with a cream sauce at home. Now, I've pretty much relegated cream sauces to when I got out to eat and decide I really want them. Should you want to venture into the realm of cream sauces, this is a good one. In Italy, pasta with cream sauce is a side dish and not a main dish. You may want to serve it that way. The important trick to this sauce is to actually cook the mushrooms for 10 minutes. They will look like they are done after a few minutes, but if you continue on with the recipe at that point, you'll be disappointed. The sauce will have a weird, bitter taste. That's the voice of experience talking.

Now to deal with the issue of the onions. Originally the recipe did not call for them. Kristy was making a similar recipe that included onions. Hers was better, so I added the onions to mine. I don't remember when I added the onions to the skillet. Instinct tells me that 10 minutes will be too long. I'd guess that adding the onions to the skillet after the mushrooms have been cooking five minutes would work.

PASTA WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 12oz package mushrooms

1/2 onion chopped

3 Tbsp butter

1 cup half and half

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1. Coarsely chop mushrooms. In a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook mushrooms in the butter, stirring frequently. After 5 minutes, add the onions and cook until mushrooms are tender and browned, about 10 minutes total. (not less then 10)

2. Stir half and half and salt and 1/4 c Parmesan into mushrooms; cook, stirring, until sauce reduces slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in extra 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce or enough to serve over 1/2 pound pasta. Serves 2