Baked pasta with bechamel, mushrooms and mozzarella

Name: Baked pasta with bechamel, mushrooms and mozzarella
Ingredients: 300 g penne pasta; 1500 ml water; 1 teaspoon salt; 250 g mushrooms (1 small jar); 1 garlic clove; 2 tablespoons oil; 150 g mozzarella; 30 g grated cașcaval; 10 g butter (for the dish); 350 ml milk; 30 g butter; 30 g flour; 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper; 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Pasta/Pizza - Baked pasta with bechamel, mushrooms and mozzarella by Lorena K. - Recipia

Baked pasta with bechamel, mushrooms and mozzarella starts with mushrooms sautéed in garlic and stirred straight into the bechamel, over penne and cubed mozzarella. It comes out of the oven with melted cașcaval (a yellow Romanian cheese) on top. I cut the mushrooms into big chunks, not thin slices. Prep: 20 minutes. Cooking: 32 minutes. Total time: 52 minutes. Servings: 4. About 620 kcal and 24 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

300 g penne pasta
1500 ml water
1 teaspoon salt
250 g mushrooms (1 small jar)
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons oil
150 g mozzarella
30 g grated cașcaval
10 g butter (for the dish)

For the béchamel sauce

350 ml milk
30 g butter
30 g flour
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preparation

1. Rinse the mushrooms, drain them well and cut them into pieces. 2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan, add the mushrooms and the crushed garlic clove. Cook them for 5 minutes, until they soften and release their water, then let them cool. 3. Put 1500 ml water with 1 teaspoon of salt on to boil in a pot. When it comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 minutes. Drain it well in a sieve. 4. Put a saucepan on the heat, melt 30 g butter and add 30 g flour. Stir well, then pour in 350 ml lukewarm milk. Whisk continuously until the flour dissolves, then let it boil for 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens. 5. Add 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Take the sauce off the heat and mix in the cooled mushrooms. Add 150 g mozzarella cut into cubes and the drained pasta, then stir well. 6. Grease a heatproof dish with 10 g butter and pour in the mixture. 7. Put the dish into the oven preheated to 180°C, for 12 minutes. 8. Take the dish out, sprinkle 30 g grated cașcaval over it and put it back in the oven until the cheese melts, about 4 minutes. 9. Take the dish out of the oven and serve the pasta warm.

Notes

The dish keeps in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free pasta and replace the 30 g flour with 15 g cornstarch, diluted in 2 tablespoons of cold water and poured into the sauce while it boils. Contains gluten and dairy. Fresh mushrooms release a lot of liquid in the pan, so if the sauce comes out too watery, leave it on the heat for a few minutes until the liquid evaporates. Sometimes the sauce thickens too much if it stays on the heat after boiling, so take the pot off in time. The whisking step is the one many people rush, but stir until there are no lumps left. Serve with a simple green salad with vinegar and a little oil.

Frequently asked questions

What mushrooms can I use instead of the ones in the recipe?

With dark-capped mushrooms, the sauce comes out a little darker in colour, and the cooking time stays at 5 minutes.

What if the sauce stays lumpy?

If lumps remain after you take the pot off the heat, pass the sauce through a fine sieve and whisk it again. If it is too thick, add 2 tablespoons of cold milk.

Can I use sour cream instead of all the milk?

Yes, use 100 ml sour cream with at least 20% fat and 250 ml milk. Take the sour cream out of the fridge 15 minutes before, temper it with 2-3 tablespoons of the hot sauce, then add it to the sauce and let it warm up gently, without boiling.