Mushroom-Gorgonzola Pasta

We decided to make a relatively simple pasta dish for dinner this week - mushroom gorgonzola pasta, with stuffed eggplant packets to start. Actually, we used Point Reyes blue cheese instead of the gorgonzola because it was a better price for the amount that you got. We found the eggplant recipe in a cookbook we recently bought and Cory wanted to try it, so we had that as an appetizer along with some olive bread from Raley's. The pear salad is a pretty standard one that I like to make (this is the one that I made for my family last Christmas). No dessert this week - just lots of bread and cheese!
(description by Liz)

The photos:

Eggplant Appetizer


Slicing eggplants


Sliced tomatoes and cheese; softening eggplant

Making eggplant packets


Making packets, continued


Ready to cook


Finished packets; dressing ingredients


Making the dressing


Toasted pine nuts and the finished product


Olive Bread with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar


The bread as purchased and as sliced


Olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping

Pear Salad


Slicing and roasting the pear


Dressing ingredients and cheese


glazing the walnuts


Assembling the salad

Mushroom Gorgonzola Pasta


Chopping the veggies


Mushrooms and butter


Cooking the onions and mushrooms


Softened mushrooms; The cheese!


Preparing the sauce


The pasta


Dinner is ready!

The Recipes:

Eggplant Packets

Eggplant:
1 eggplant
4 oz mozzarella cheese
2 plum tomatoes
8 large basil leaves
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp toasted pine nuts or chopped toasted walnuts for garnish

Dressing:
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp tomato paste
pinch each salt, pepper, sugar

Trim ends from eggplant and slice into thin slices (approximately 1/4 inch thick) - you need eight slices, excluding the first and last slices that are mostly peel. Cut the mozzarella into 4 sices and the tomatoes into eight thin slices.

Bring a pan of salted water to boil and cook the eggplant slices for 2-3 minutes to soften. Drain the slices and pat dry with a paper towel.

Take two slices of the eggplant and crisscross them. In the center, where they overlap, layer a tomato slice, salt and pepper, a basil leaf, a mozzarella slice, another basil leaf, and another tomato slice, and a little more salt and pepper. Fold the eggplant ends over to make a square package.

Make the dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients until blended.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake eggplant packets for 10 minutes . Broil eggplant packets for 1-2 minutes to brown. Remove from heat and arrange on a plate. Drizzle dressing over each packet and garnish with toasted nuts.


Roasted Pear Salad with Balsamic Dressing

1 ripe pear, peeled and cored
1 tsp sugar
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 c walnut pieces
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp water
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

Dressing:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
pinch each sugar, salt, and freshly ground pepper
1/4 c

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice pear into 1/4 inch slices. Arrange on buttered baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Roast until lightly golden, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and stir. Sprinkle sugar, salt, and cayenne over. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a syrup forms (you might not need all of the water). Coat the nuts with the syrup and heat until bubbling and most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and spread on baking sheet or foil to cool.

Make the dressing by whisking all ingredients together until blended.

Arrange pears and nuts over spinach leaves. Toss with dressing and garnish with parmesan to taste.



Mushroom-Gorgonzola Pasta

3 cups assorted fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4-5 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
2/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
4 oz cream cheese
4 oz Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
salt and pepper
8 oz farfalle, penne, or other short pasta, cooked

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and mushrooms and saute until beginning to soften. Add the garlic, sage, salt, and pepper and saute 3-4 more minutes. Stir in wine or broth and 1/2 cup water. Stir in the cheeses and simmer until melted and mixed through, stirring constantly. Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss.