Meatless Monday: Red Pepper and Portobello Mushroom Pasta in White Wine Sauce

Temporary or long-term, there are a lot of reasons you might want to go meatless.  It helps cut back on the impacts of global warming.  You might be giving up meat once a week or entirely for Lent.  You could be full-on vegetarian or vegan for personal or moral reasons.  I know some of my readers do the veg thing or practice clean eating, and I've personally found that going meatless sometimes just feels good, and I don't always miss the meat.  Don't get me wrong: I am a serious carnivore, and this blog will contain a lot of meaty recipes.  But, for those of you looking for a meatless alternative, I'll try to update those too.

For this recipe, you'll need: dry white wine (I'm using chardonnay), extra virgin olive oil, one whole portobello mushroom, half a red bell pepper, one clove of garlic, half a lemon, and pasta.  If you're going gluten-free or completely vegan, you can substitute spaghetti squash or a vegan (non-egg based) or gluten-free pasta.

Begin by cubing your bell pepper and your mushroom into roughly 1 inch pieces and finely chopping your garlic clove.   Place a pan on the stove over low heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to your pan.  Add your garlic and let cook approximately one minute.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper to your vegetables.

Then, add your mushrooms and peppers to the pan, increasing the heat to medium-high, and let them saute until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Once they have softened, add one cup of white wine, and turn the heat to high.  Let this cook until the amount of liquid in the pan has reduced by more than half.  Once your liquid has reduced, add two tablespoons of olive oil (or butter) to the pan, as well as the juice of half a lemon.

Prepare your pasta according to directions on the box and toss with the finished sauce.