© Sunshine Urbaniak

Mushroom Orecchiette with Bell Pepper & Goat Cheese

This orecchiette pasta salad with mushrooms, bell pepper and goat cheese is so creamy and delicious it might become your go-to for potlucks. Quick and simple to make yet yields such rich flavor from the mushrooms cooked in marsala wine. Marsala really brings out that unique earthy flavor mushrooms have and it contrasts nicely with the sweet-tart balsamic vinaigrette dressing. And did I mention the goat cheese? Simply divine in this pasta dish. Green onions and parsley round out this dish with their subtle flavor and vibrant green color.

This recipe uses one pound of orecchiette so it can serve 6-8 people or more. Feel free to cut this recipe in half if you don’t want to make such a large batch. It keeps well in the fridge, just let it come to room temp before eating. Depending on how long it sits in the fridge, you may need to add some more dressing if it becomes too dry. Adding more balsamic vinaigrette livens it up for sure. Enjoy!

Mushroom Orecchiette with Bell Pepper & Goat Cheese

Mushroom Orecchiette with Bell Pepper & Goat Cheese

Serving: 6-8

AuthorSunshine UrbaniakCategoryTotal Time30 mins

INGREDIENTS

Pasta Salad
1 lb Orecchiette Pasta
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Butter
1 Shallot, minced
½ cup Red Onion, minced
cup Marsala Wine
16 oz Baby Portabello Mushrooms, sliced (four 8 oz. packs)
2 Red Bell Pepper, diced
cup Green Onions, chopped
¼ cup Fresh Parsley, minced
8 oz Goat Cheese
Balsamic Dressing
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Garlic Clove, pressed or finely minced
1 tsp Honey

DIRECTIONS

Dressing
1

Combine all the ingredients into a salad dressing shaker and shake well.

Make Pasta Salad
2

Save time by cooking the pasta and mushroom mixture at the same time. Cook the orecchiette pasta as directed on the box. Drain, rinse with cold water, then let cool.

3

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm up olive oil and butter. Add onion and shallot and cook for 5 min. Then add mushrooms, bell pepper, and marsala wine and cook another 15 min, until mushrooms are soft but not mushy. Sprinkle with salt. Take off heat and let cool.

4

Combine pasta, mushroom mixture, green onions, parsley and dressing; mix together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, crumble in goat cheese, and fold together gently to keep goat cheese chunks intact. Let rest at least 15-30 min before serving. Best at room temperature.

Ingredients

Pasta Salad
 1 lb Orecchiette Pasta
 1 tbsp Olive Oil
 1 tbsp Butter
 1 Shallot, minced
 ½ cup Red Onion, minced
  cup Marsala Wine
 16 oz Baby Portabello Mushrooms, sliced (four 8 oz. packs)
 2 Red Bell Pepper, diced
  cup Green Onions, chopped
 ¼ cup Fresh Parsley, minced
 8 oz Goat Cheese
Balsamic Dressing
 ¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
 ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
 ½ tsp Salt
 ¼ tsp Pepper
 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
 1 Garlic Clove, pressed or finely minced
 1 tsp Honey

Directions

Dressing
1

Combine all the ingredients into a salad dressing shaker and shake well.

Make Pasta Salad
2

Save time by cooking the pasta and mushroom mixture at the same time. Cook the orecchiette pasta as directed on the box. Drain, rinse with cold water, then let cool.

3

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm up olive oil and butter. Add onion and shallot and cook for 5 min. Then add mushrooms, bell pepper, and marsala wine and cook another 15 min, until mushrooms are soft but not mushy. Sprinkle with salt. Take off heat and let cool.

4

Combine pasta, mushroom mixture, green onions, parsley and dressing; mix together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, crumble in goat cheese, and fold together gently to keep goat cheese chunks intact. Let rest at least 15-30 min before serving. Best at room temperature.

Notes

Mushroom Orecchiette with Bell Pepper & Goat Cheese

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