August 20, 2013

Simple Side: Mushrooms with Pine Nuts & Parmesan

Mushrooms with Pine Nuts and Parmesan

One of the chief complaints among foodie Cooperstonians is that there is a dearth of gourmet food shops in the area. In fact, the closest place they can buy things like fancy cheeses and exotic produce is 90 miles northeast in Albany. To counter that, however, there is a vast expanse of farmland and the farmer’s market is truly one-in-a-million. So, while I’ve been here this month I’ve been enjoying all kinds of delicious corn, squash, tomatoes, and fruit. I haven’t, however, been able to find a single interesting or exotic mushroom. It is sliced cremini, portabello, or nothing at all.

Given my assignment with Sargento is the explore the world of mushrooms this year I was a bit disappointed, and even a little worried, that I wouldn’t have anything to write about this month. But then I realized that this is a great opportunity to talk about one of the best things about mushrooms: the ability to transform them into dishes that are tastier than the sum of their parts. In Connecticut I am lucky to have access to all kinds of gourmet food shops but I am sure a lot of you do not. Especially if you live in a place as rural as Cooperstown.

Since my store choices were so limited I decided to pull out an old favorite recipe and riff on it a little bit. I toasted pine nuts, sauteed some basic sliced cremini mushrooms in olive oil, and added some shredded Parmesan. The result was a delicious and easy side dish that taste earthy, crunchy, and slightly salty. You never would’ve known that I made with some exceedingly ordinary mushrooms. I even noted that if I had loosened it with some pasta water if would’ve made a great sauce over pasta. In this case, however, we serve it alongside our favorite easy grilled chicken and fresh upstate New York corn. It was a perfect healthy weeknight meal for a relaxed summer evening.

A few more fun mushroom recipes:

1. Mushroom & Blue Cheese Crepes

2. Balsamic Roasted Mushrooms

3. Spicy Mushroom Tacos

4. Creamy Mushroom Soup

5. Mushroom & Leek Lunch Pizza

(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Sargento. The recipes and photographs are entirely my own. Thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that make The Naptime Chef possible.)

Recipe

Mushrooms with Pine Nuts & Parmesan

Ingredients

2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
¼ cup white wine
1 teaspoon butter
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. Place a skillet over medium-low heat and add the pine nuts. Toast the pine nuts very carefully, pushing them around with a spoon and taking care that they don’t burn. Once they are lightly browned move them to a plate to cool.

2. Return the skillet to the burner and add the oil to pan. Add the mushrooms and a small pinch of salt and saute them until they are softened an cooked through. Then, add the white and let it simmer until it has burned off. Then, stir in the butter until it is completely melted.

3. Slide the mushrooms onto plate with the pine nuts and stir them together. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve!

Naptime Notes

Naptime Recipe Serving ideas

This simple side recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a crowd. It is very rich and might also taste great on some grilled bread or stir into roasted vegetables.

Naptime Stopwatch

2 minutes prep time, 15 minutes cook time

Naptime Reviews

This is a great savory side dish any time of year.

 

 

 

 

4 Responses to “Simple Side: Mushrooms with Pine Nuts & Parmesan”

  1. I think this recipe is especially suited to autumn. I’ve been looking for mushroom inspiration lately and this looks like it will hit the spot!

  2. Colleen Meehan says:

    EXCELLENT-everything you have here-I put in my meatballs-the best flavors ever-I like to call them a “HAPPY MARRIAGE”.