Cream Mushroom and Meatball Pasta with garlicy toast

Sometimes the simplest of food can have that spot on effect, as far as taste and sated satisfaction are concerned, and it’s rarely the good things for you, that help! For example this recipe is one that leaves me happy after I have eaten it and then 30 minutes later I start to feel guilty….. Not THAT guilty though, pasta, double cream and warm garlicy bread, are a perfect combination and not one that I intend to give up on anytime soon.

Serves 2

Creamy Mushroom and meatball Pasta with yummy Garlicy toast.

Olive oil for frying

8 chestnut mushrooms, sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

1 leek trimmed, quartered and sliced

250ml Vegetable stock

4-6 fresh lasagne sheets

100ml double cream

1tsp dried tarragon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Your favourite meatballs

For the bruschetta

Ciabatta loaf, halved length ways

Olive oil

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

1.       Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably one which is quite deep. Once the oil is hot, throw in the mushrooms, season to taste and sauté for a few minutes before adding the garlic and leeks, cook until the leeks are soft and the mushrooms are browned, watch the leeks carefully, it takes very little time for them to go from soft to burnt. Taste and alter the seasoning if need be.

2.       Add the stock, bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by about half.

3.       In a large separate saucepan cook the lasagne sheets until just al dente, reading the packet directions should give you a rough idea of how long to expect this to take.

4.       Add the cream to the mushroom mixture and allow it to simmer. Leave it to simmer to help reduce it and thicken slightly.

5.       Drain the pasta sheets, and add them to the creamy sauce, gently stirring them in to coat in the sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the tarragon, taste again and if seasoning needs to be adjusted again, go carefully because REMEMBER you can always add a little more but once it’s in there, it’s in there.

6.       Brush the bread with olive oil and rub the garlic into it. Toast under a grill for a couple of minutes until just golden.

7.       Serve the pasta with your garlicy bread on the side.