Orecchiette With Mushrooms, Arugula, Tomatoes, and Brie

My goodness, just the name of this dish makes me hungry. This, right here, is my cup 'o tea. Meatloaf? Pot Roast? Shepherd's Pie? I could go the rest of my life without eating them and not feel an ounce of despair. But pasta? With BRIE? And tomatoes and mushrooms and arugula??? Oh my. This is how I grew up. I feel so blessed that my mom exposed me to such a wide variety of foods and tastes at a fairly young age. If you're a committed "meat and taters" kind of cook, you should perhaps stop right here. But if you love fresh, vibrant flavors and textures, this one from my mom may be right up your alley...

Orecchiette with Mushrooms, Arugula, Tomatoes, & Brie

2 cups orecchiette (those are small pasta shells, in case you didn't know! :)), about 1/2 lb

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 oz. portobello mushrooms (Baby Bellas are fine too), thinly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

3/4 lb plum tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup white wine (or stock, if you don't cook with wine)

1 bunch arugula, stems trimmed

1/4 lb Brie, rind trimmed, cheese cut into 1/2" pieces

Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Add wine; bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes more. Add arugula, cheese, and pasta to sauce. Toss until arugula wilts, cheese begins to melt, and pasta is heated through, adding reserved liquid by tablespoonful if mixture seems dry. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4 (these are moderate servings, not gigantic platters... perfect with bread and a salad!)

My apologies for the lack of photos! I'll add them just as soon as I make this dish again. In the meantime, you may want to pop back over to my Shrimp Rotini post which now has photos with it!

This post is linked to:

Tasty Tuesday

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

$5 Dinner Challenge