This creamy mushroom and spinach side dish is wonderful with grilled spinach or pork chops. Additionally, this sauce could easily be stirred into cooked pasta and served as a main dish.
INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 lb. small button or cremini mushrooms, cleaned
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups fresh spinach
1/4 cup basil, chiffonade (finely cut) for garnish
METHOD:
Over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil in a heavy saute pan. Add minced garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
Add mushrooms and tomatoes and cook until the mushrooms are tender and the tomatoes are beginning to burst, 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, then bring the mixture to a simmer. Add spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted and the sauce is slightly thickened about 5 minutes.
Garnish the dish with basil chiffonade before serving.
YIELD: 4 servings
