There are eight days every year when I find myself actually excited about cooking without meat. The Nine Days, the period on the Jewish calendar when many Jews refrain from eating meat, has a way of pushing me into the kitchen with a kind of creative energy I don’t always have the rest of the year.
This cheesy mushroom pasta bake came out of that spirit. I wanted something hearty enough to feel like a real meal, satisfying enough that nobody at the table would miss the meat, and honestly just really delicious. Loads of mixed mushrooms, two kinds of cheese, fresh herbs and small macaroni all baked together until golden and bubbling. It delivers every time.
Cheesy Mushroom Pasta Bake
Tender macaroni and mixed mushrooms baked in a rich, cheesy sauce with mozzarella and parmesan, finished with fresh chives and parsley. Hearty, comforting and completely dairy.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 14-16 oz mixed mushrooms sliced in ½-in pieces
- kosher salt
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 8 oz small pasta like orzo or macaroni
- 1 cup parsley chopped
- 1 cup chives chopped
- 8 oz mozzarella cut into ½-in cubes
- ¾ cup parmesan shredded
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the onions and garlic and cook 12-15 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the mixed mushrooms to the pan and cook about 10-12 minutes more, allowing the mushroom liquid to evaporate.
- Pour mushroom mixture into a 3-quart baking dish and season very generously with salt. Add in red pepper flakes, parsley, chives, mozzarella and half of the parmesan. Stir to mix.
- Pour in ½ cup water and 1 cup milk. Spread remaining parmesan on top. Cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes or until the top is crisp and the pasta below is cooked through. Serve warm.