Every Monday night this fall, I’ll be challenging myself to cook dinners that are either centered around being a “30-minute meal,” “Gluten Free,” or “Meatless/Vegetarian.” My main goal is to make interesting dishes with lots of fresh veggies and hearty ingredients that are generally inexpensive. I’ve also been intrigued by meals that don’t call for meat, but still are high in protein.  So tonight, I went for speed, and what we had in the fridge!
Linguini with Mushrooms, Spinach, Bacon and Fennel in Creamy Shallot Sauce
1. Sautee 2 thinly sliced Shallots and 1 Fennel Bulb, plus some of the Fennel greens and stalks, in a couple of tablespoons of Olive Oil for about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add 4 cups of thickly sliced mushrooms, and stir fry for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of chicken broth, and simmer for another 10 minutes until some of the broth is absorbed.
3. Boil water and follow the box instructions for the Linguini. About 10-12 min cooking time.
4. Add 8 slices of already cooked Bacon, chopped finely, along with 1/2 cup of sour cream, and 1/2 cup of light cream cheese. Stir in until fully absorbed and evenly distributed, about 5 minutes or so.
5. Then, pile a generous portion of fresh spinach on top of the Sauce. Cover, and let spinach cook down fully; then, stir evenly all together. I used about 5-7 cups.
6. By this time, the pasta should be done. Drain, and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Assemble bowls of pasta, then top with the Sauce, Mushroom, Spinach, Bacon, etc. Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese on top and enjoy!