Lemon, garlic and mushroom pasta with herbs - lazy Saturday

There hasn't been much epic cooking to write about lately. Last week I can't remember if I really cooked much at all, mostly just used bad language on M4 and defrosted stuff. This weekend I made pasta. Or I didn't really make pasta. I cooked some ready made pasta and tossed it with some veg. That was my culinary achievement of the week.

We went out to our favourite bar with some friends on Friday and the men started a bit of a drink buying competition. Not that I disapprove, it is actually one of my favourite kinds of competitions. And we had a great night. After our friends gave up and went home we found a random nice couple who we started buying rounds with, so for the rest of the weekend we were maybe a bit less energetic than planned.

So I made this non-challenging but satisfying and tasty pasta dish Saturday night and we ate in front of the TV. We don't do that often, we usually sit around a table like actual human beings (oh hello mother, I think I can hear your voice in my head, yes yes, no elbows on the table), but now it was all about hangover cure and being kind to our bodies and minds. Also, I doubt the conversation around the table would have been particularly riveting. So husband watched football and I read a book on my Kindle while shoveling the food in. Sometimes you have to.

Sunday I was going to do some baking, but instead decided to take a four hour nap. I'm not sure if technically you can even call it a nap. But it had been a long week and it was lovely, lots of excellent REM sleep! I had a fantastic dream that I was selling medical technology to private healthcare providers, so far not that unimaginable, pretty much what I do. BUT! In the dream my closest work mate was Keanu Reeves. I like my real life colleagues, but was still quite exciting to discuss pricing strategy and partnership agreements with Keanu. We even organised an awesome sales conference together and he was a surprisingly good salesman and wasn't just climbing roofs and jumping around in a sexy full length leather jacket. Although that would have been fine by me too. And he didn't try to kiss me or anything. Or me him, definitely.

Garlic and lemon mushroom tagliatelle (serves 2)

3 tbsp of olive oil (+ 1 tbsp for frying)
3 gloves of garlic, minced
250g organic brown mushroom (or regular chestnut), thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Zest and juice of a lemon
1 courgette, chopped
Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
75 g parmesan grated
3/4 cup of pasta cooking water
2 tbsp soft cheese
Salt
Blackpepper
300-350g linguine or tagliatelle
Fresh parsley and grated parmesan to sprinkle on top

Mix the mushrooms, garlic, lemon zest, thyme, parsley and olive oil.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large pan. Add the mushroom mixture and fry on medium heat for a few minutes. As the mushroom are starting to colour a little add the courgette and continue frying. Once courgette is almost done add the halved tomatoes, salt and pepper and continue frying until the tomatoes soften and all the vegetables are done.

In the meanwhile cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Drain reserving a 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta into the pan. Add in the mushroom-vegetable mixture. Add the pasta cooking water, lemon juice. parmesan and soft cheese. Add some salt and pepper and mix well. Check the seasoning and add more if necessary. Sprinkle some fresh herbs and grated parmesan on top.