Vegetarian

In an attempt to try something outside our normal routine, I recently fixed this vegetarian pasta dish. It was quite tasty even though I had clipped off the last part of the recipe and therefore did ot add the water to make a sauce. We all make mistakes....


Rigatoni with red peppers, wild mushrooms and fontina

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large red onions, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices (about 6 cups)
1 pound assorted wild mushrooms (such as small portobello, oyster, chanterelle, and stemmed shiitake), cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices (about 10 cups)
2 large red bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick strips (about 4 cups)
1 pound rigatoni
3 teaspoons marjoram, divided1
1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese (about 6 ounces), divided

Heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add mushrooms and saute until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add peppers and saute until just soft, about 5 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

Add reserved pasta cooking liquid and 2 teaspoons marjoram to skillet and stir, scraping up browned bits. Add drained pasta to sauce and toss to coat. Add 1 cup cheese; stir until melted. Transfer pasta to large bowl; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and 1 teaspoon marjoram.

Bon Appetit, October 2005