This recipe is based on the dish of the same name once served at Mondos, of Iowa City, Iowa, before it burned down.

Portabella Capellini

3-4 T. butter
2 large portabella mushrooms, sliced
6 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
1 small bunch spinach, cleaned, destemmed, and torn or roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. dry white wine
1-1/4 c. heavy cream
6 oz. bleu cheese (ideally gorgonzola if you can get it), crumbled
1/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 pkg. dried capellini (fine angel hair) pasta
1 T. toasted, chopped pine nuts (or walnuts)
salt & pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, with a dash of olive oil, a Bay leaf, and some salt added to the cooking water, until al dente. Drain, and set aside.

Melt the butter in your pasta pan. Add portabellas and garlic, and sautée for 3-5 minutes. Add the button mushrooms and sautée until all the mushrooms are tender.

Add white wine and deglaze — use a dry white you’d happily drink, not a salty or bitter ‘cooking’ wine. When the wine has cooked off, remove the portabellas and set aside.

Add heavy cream and bleu cheese to the sauteed button mushrooms. (Note: If you’re using gorgonzola and it’s really strong, you may want to use a little less than the recipe calls for.) Stir until the bleu cheese is incorporated.

Add the pasta to the pan and stir into the sauce. Reduce the cream over medium heat, stirring constantly.

Add the spinach and most of the parmesan (reserving a little for garnish), and toss over heat until the spinach is wilted.

Turn off the burner. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, dish up the pasta and arrange the portabellas on the top. Garnish with a few spinach leaves, grated parmesan, and the pine nuts.

Servings: 4-6
Cooking time: 20 minutes