Creamy Mushroom Cavatappi with Scallions & Parmesan

Step 1

Bring a medium pot of salted waterto a boil. Wash and dry all produce.Trim and thinly slice scallion, separatingwhites from greens. Trim and slicemushrooms into ¼-inch-thick pieces.

Step 2

Heat a large drizzle of olive oil ina large pan over medium-high heat.Add mushrooms; season with salt andpepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, untilbrowned and slightly crispy, 5-7 minutes.Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towellinedplate. Wash out pan.

Step 3

Once water is boiling, add cavatappito pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, untilal dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cuppasta cooking water, then drain.

Step 4

Meanwhile, melt 2 TBSP plainbutter (4 TBSP for 4 servings) in panused for mushrooms over medium-highheat. Add scallion whites and cook untiljust softened, 1 minute. Add flour andcook, stirring, until lightly browned, 1-2minutes. Whisk in milk and ⅓ cup pastacooking water (½ cup for 4), making sureto eliminate any flour clumps. Let simmeruntil slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes.

Step 5

Stir cream cheese into pan withsauce until melted. Stir in mushrooms,cavatappi, and garlic herb butter.Season with salt and pepper. TIP: Ifneeded, stir in reserved cooking water asplash at a time until pasta is coated in acreamy sauce.

Step 6

Divide pasta between bowls andsprinkle with Parmesan and scalliongreens. Serve.