Baked Mushroom Marsala

This Baked Mushroom Marsala was a huge hit in our house and it will be made over and over again.  Yes, it’s a casserole, but not in the canned soup kind of way.  It combines the traditional rich Marsala mushroom sauce, al dente pasta, mozzarella, and a crunchy parmesan and panko topping.   It even stayed creamy when we reheated the leftovers!

Start by cooking your pasta until it is al dente…1-2 minutes below the recommended cooking time.

To make the sauce, heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to turn golden, but have not release their liquid.

Reduce heat to medium-high and add the onions, salt, and pepper.

Saute until the liquid has evaporated.  Add the Marsala and cook until it has evaporated.

Add the butter and stir until melted.  This recipe doesn’t contain cream, so the butter really helps make it creamy.

Add the flour and stir until it has been dampened and absorbed.

Begin to incorporate the vegetable broth.  Add a little bit at a time, stirring the whole time.

Repeat until all of the broth has been added.  Let simmer for 2 minutes.  You just made your own Marsala mushroom cream sauce!

Add the cooked pasta into the large skillet. Stir in half of the parmesan, all of the mozzarella, and 2 Tablespoons parsley.

Pour mixture into a 3-4 quart (greased) baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.

And top with panko bread crumbs.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes until the edges are golden brown and bubbling. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve!

Instructions:

Servings: 4 really generous or 6 slightly more moderate ones
To serve a crowd: Double it in a 9×13-inch or lasagna pan

1/2 pound (8 ounces or 225 grams) pasta of you choice (I used Gemelli)
1 tablespoon olive oil
16 ounces (454 grams) fresh mushroom, sliced (I used Baby Bellas.  Crimini would also work well.)
1 small-to-medium yellow onion, halved and sliced thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry Marsala wine (It’s not absolutely necessary, but I highly recommend it.  Marsala is super cheap, too!)
3 tablespoons  unsalted butter
3 tablespoons  all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups stock or broth (chicken, vegetable or mushroom…I used vegetable broth.)
1/2 cup  finely grated parmesan cheese
4 ounces mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

Cook the pasta: Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes before perfect doneness. Drain and set aside.

Heat oven: To 400 degrees.

Make the sauce: Add oil to a large skillet over high heat.  Once it is hot, add mushrooms and cook until they’ve begun to brown and glisten, but have not yet released their liquid. Reduce heat to medium-high, add onions, salt and pepper and saute together until the liquid the mushrooms give off is evaporated. Add Marsala and cook mixture, stirring, until it has almost or fully evaporated. Add butter, stir until melted. Add flour, and stir until all has been dampened and absorbed. Add broth, a very small splash at a time, stirring the whole time with a spoon. Make sure each splash has been fully mixed into the butter/flour/mushroom mixture, scraping from the bottom of the pan and all around, before adding the next splash. Repeat until all stock has been added. Let mixture simmer together for 2 minutes, stirring frequently; the sauce will thicken. Remove pan from heat.

Assemble and bake dish: Add the cooked pasta into the mushroom mixture and combine. Stir in half the parmesan, all of the mozzarella and two tablespoons of the parsley until evenly mixed. Spoon the mixture into a 3-4 quart greased baking dish.  Sprinkle the top with remaining parmesan and panko. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until edges of pasta are golden brown and irresistible. Sprinkle with reserved parsley and serve hot. Reheat as needed.

Recipe adapted from: Smitten Kitchen

Related Recipes:

Roasted Mushroom and Cauliflower Quinoa

Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce

Baked Caprese Quinoa

 

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

I had another post scheduled for today, but after making this casserole I just had to share it now!  In the south, casseroles usually involve processed cheese, frozen vegetables, and canned cream soup.  I wanted to create a fresher, healthier broccoli casserole.  This version has fresh broccoli and carrots with quinoa and lots of cheesy goodness.  The cream and cheeses still make it decadent and the panko crumbs give it a nice crunch.  You really should try this recipe….asap!

We had it as a vegetarian entree, but it would make a great holiday side dish or even a potluck dish for a holiday party!

The cast of characters…

Start by rinsing your quinoa (don’t skip this step!), and cooking it in the vegetable broth.  You can sub water or chicken broth if you want.

While that’s cooking, chop your broccoli and carrots.  Add them to a large skillet, cover with water, and bring to a boil for around 5 minutes.

Once tender, drain vegetables and set aside.

Next, add olive oil, onion, and garlic to your skillet.  Cook for 1 minute and add flour.  Stir to combine.

Remove from heat.  Add the broccoli mixture,

1/2 cup parmesan, and 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Add quinoa to the vegetable/cheese mixture.  Combine and pour into prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine cream and nutmeg.  Pour over the quinoa mixture.

In another small bowl, combine remaining cheeses and panko.  Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Let it sit for 10 minutes so the casserole can set.  Waiting is the hardest part!  Now serve and enjoy!!

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth or water
2-pounds fresh broccoli florets
2 carrots, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 cup heavy whipping cream
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½-cup panko crumbs or bread crumbs

Instructions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400.

2.  Lightly grease a large baking dish; set aside.

3.  Add quinoa and vegetable broth to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until broth is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa and set aside.

4.  Place broccoli florets and chopped carrots in a large saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until tender.

5.  Drain well; set aside.

6.  Heat olive oil in skillet; add chopped onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.

7.  Stir in flour; stir until thoroughly combined.

8.  Remove from heat and add the broccoli mixture.

9.  Add 1/2-cup shredded parmesan cheese and 1/2-cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

10.  Transfer the vegetable mixture to the previously prepared dish; set aside.

11.  In a small mixing bowl, combine cream and nutmeg; mix until combined.  Pour milk mixture over casserole.

12.  In a separate bowl, combine remaining cheese and panko crumbs.  Sprinkle panko crumbs mixture over broccoli mixture.

13.  Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

14.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!