Bake My Day
Creamy Mushroom Alfredo Pasta Gratin with a Golden Parmesan Crust
55 minutes
Serves 4
DinnerItalianVegetarianNut-freeShellfish-freeSoy-free
Herb's take
Italy called: it wants you to master the double act of creamy Alfredo and a bubbling, gratinéed top. Welcome to the world of pasta bakes, where al dente meets umami-rich mushrooms and science gives you a sauce that doesn’t split.
Ingredients
Yield
4
Instructions
- 01Preheat your oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish with olive oil.
- 02Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne pasta until just shy of al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- 03While pasta cooks, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and their liquid has evaporated, about 7-8 minutes.
- 04Add diced onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- 05Season mixture with kosher salt and black pepper. Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to form a roux.
- 06Pour in white wine and scrape up any brown bits from the pan. Simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
- 07Gradually whisk in milk, then heavy cream. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4-6 minutes.
- 08Stir in 3/4 cup Parmesan, nutmeg, and half the mozzarella. Remove from heat.
- 09Fold the drained pasta into the mushroom Alfredo sauce and stir to coat evenly.
- 10Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
- 11Bake uncovered until the top is bubbly and golden, about 18-22 minutes. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- 12Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve hot.
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