I love this dish. I have loved it from the moment I first created it and I have made multiple variations of it since. Each time it has been a different and a delightful experience. It is simple, comforting and delicious. It requires very little time to prep and to cook. The best part is it does not leave me with a pile of dirty pots in the sink. For full disclosure I did cook shitake mushrooms separately in my cast iron skillet, as this is how I prefer to cook my mushrooms.

I sauté or caramelize diced onions with a lot of garlic over high heat while stirring constantly. At the same time I also caramelize the shitake mushrooms in olive oil and a dab of butter until the mushrooms are golden brown. To the mix of caramelized onions and garlic I add equal amount of tomatoes and fresh thyme from my garden and sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper as always. I stir until I have the desired consistency, which totally depends on my mood, for there are days I like the sauce to be caramelized and sweet and other times I prefer the freshness and a bit of tartness.

Add broth, just enough to cover the amount of pasta you are planning on cooking. Add sour cream, but temper it first so it does not curdle when you add it to the simmering sauce. This is done by adding a bit of heated liquid from the sauce to the cream and stirring it until the sour cream is warm. Also add more fresh thyme. I prefer to simmer my sauce for a few minutes before I add pasta to it so all of the flavors can really meld and come together. 

Once the sauce is to your taste, add pasta; this time I used two different kinds, farfalle and penne. As I like my pasta to be el dente I usually hover around the pot and taste. Sometimes I recruit whoever is around to taste the dish – I can usually tell by their expression if it good or if something is missing. Add fresh basil, shitake mushrooms and the Parmesan cheese at the very end and mix well. I like to have green salad to go with my meal- it is an essential staple in this house. The more greens the better.

I chose not to be a passive consumer, therefore, it is really important for me to know what I am eating and feeding my family. I have profound love and respect for slow cooking. I love how the smell of slow cooking emanates throughout my house, it is uplifting and energizing for the soul. Slow cooking is not always possible especially when time is limited, when you are a parent who also happens to be a shift worker and there are million things to fit into your already tight schedule. It has been often difficult at times to be creative or to have the energy to make delicious slow cooked meals when your work schedule is somewhat erratic with very little recovery time in between shifts.