Penne Bolognese With Mushrooms

That pasta thing happened again. You know that thing when all I think about and all I want to eat is pasta? I'm blaming my craving on the mondo white-out blizzard we experienced the night I decided to make this dish. All I wanted to do was run home, change into a oversized hoodie, pour a glass of wine, and eat pasta. Yummy, delicious, carb filled pasta.

Traditionally, Bolognese is a meat-based sauce originating from Bologna, Italy. And, traditionally, this sauce has very little tomato sauce in it. But, centuries, immigration, and non-conforming chefs have transformed this sauce over the years to include varying amounts of tomato concentrate as well as added ingredients - like mushrooms. I'm sure a conforming authentic Italian chef would disprove of my mushroom addition. But, hey, C and I like mushrooms. And, if I didn't use them up soon, they would have gone bad. Waste not. Want not.

Penne Bolognese With Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. dry whole wheat penne
• 1lb ground turkey (93% lean or more)
• 1 8oz package mushrooms, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups plain marinara tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 Tbsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp parsley
• 1/2 Tbsp basil (fresh preferred)
• shredded Parmesan 

Directions:

• Bring large pot of water to a boil and add pasta. Cook 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse.
• While pasta is cooking, heat skillet over medium heat on top of stove.
• Add in onion, garlic, and turkey and cook until meat is almost no longer pink.
• Add in mushrooms and cook until tender (about 6 mins) 
• Stir in sauce and seasonings. Add in pasta and mix well. 
• Serve and sprinkle with cheese. 

A leafy green side salad with a light Italian or vingarette dressing and some red wine were the perfect accompaniment to this pasta meal. Sometimes, I guess it is ok when that "pasta thing" happens.