Mushroom Rigatoni Bake

My Valentine loves mushrooms, so I put this on our menu for the 14th. He got me a beautiful orchid and some of my favorite treats, and he got mushrooms in return:) The only thing I'd change for next time is to add mustard into the sauce to add to the flavor, so I'm adding that in to the recipe here. If you love mushrooms and pasta, this is one of the many I have here suited perfectly for you!

Mushroom Rigatoni Bake

serves 4
8 oz uncooked whole wheat pasta

2 tsp butter

1/4 cup diced onion
12 oz sliced mushrooms
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup flour

2 cups skim milk

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 cup grated Italian blend cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside.

Spray 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Melt butter in saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about two minutes, until soft. Add mushrooms, thyme, s&p, garlic, and W sauce. Cook until mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Remove mushroom mixture from pan.

Add the flour to the pan and start whisking. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk to form a ball, then slowly pour the remaining milk in, whisking constantly. Stir in the mustard and simmer for about five minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings (can add your favorite seasonings here...nutmeg, cayenne, whatever you like).

Remove sauce from heat and stir in the mushroom mixture. Pour into baking dish, top with remaining cheese, and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from oven, let stand for five minutes, then serve.

adapted from Cooking Light

The "octagon of doom" packed with purple for the K-State/KU game! We put up a decent fight, but left without the W. We had fun and totally paid for it the next day after getting home from Manhattan at around 1 AM!