Two recipes in one post. And a story to boot.
On the last day of Alex’s final exams, she wanted pasta. Because she adores pasta with pesto, I decided that was what I’d prepare for her. Pasta with pesto sauce with butter-sauteed fresh mushrooms thrown in. I had already prepared the pesto (I never use anything but homemade pesto these days) and I was already sauteing the mushrooms in butter when Alex commented that she thought I would be making spaghetti with tomato sauce.
I paused for a moment, weighing the too-much-pampering angle with the desire to do something special for her because she had just been through the gauntlet called final exams. The desire to do something special won.
Now, that turned out to be a good thing because what I did with the pesto and mushrooms proved to be out-of-this-world good. And now, I have these two recipes. Both are good as starters.
Ingredients
- 200 g. of fresh mushrooms (I used button mushrooms), sliced
2 tbsps. of butter
salt
2 tbsps. to 1/4 c. of pesto (preferably homemade), depending on whether you like your mushrooms swimming in pesto
4 buns, split
cheese slices, as much as you like
Instructions
- Butter sauteed mushrooms with pesto
Heat the butter in a pan. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook over high heat for about three minutes. Mushrooms cook fast, please don’t overcook them. Sprinkle with a little salt. Stir in the pesto. It’s done.
I placed the platter on the kitchen counter and we were eating the mushrooms off the platter while waiting for the spaghetti to cook when I realized what else I could do with the mushrooms with pesto. And it was at that point that I realized too that I really would like to post the recipes in my blog. So, before collecting the ingredients for the second dish that I intended to make with the mushrooms, I ran upstairs to get the camera to take a photo of the mushrooms with pesto on the platter before they started to look too disheveled for food photography.
So, now, we come to that second idea.
Mushrooms with pesto toasties
First, you have to have made the mushrooms and pesto dish. Additionally, you’ll need split buns (I used whole wheat pan de sal) and slices of your favorite cheese.
Pile on some of the mushrooms with pesto on the split buns. I recommend that you toast the buns after splitting but before adding the mushrooms. I didn’t, that was my mistake, but then I was too excited to execute the idea that had entered my head in one of those unexpected moments of inspiration.
If the mushrooms look like they aren’t coated with enough pesto, spoon some pesto over them. You can even brush the split sides of the buns with a little pesto before piling on the mushrooms.
Top the mushrooms with cheese. Grated or sliced, both will work. I used sliced because we were experimenting with a new cheese grater. I’ll show you later.
Toast the bread in a preheated oven for about a minute or two or just until the cheese melts. About 450oF. If you’re using a turbo broiler, there’s no need to preheat.
And you have these delicious toasties which, based on the result, is something I won’t be shy to serve for a birthday party or for the many family gatherings that usually accompany the Christmas season that lasts until after the New Year.
Cooking time (duration): 15 minutes
Number of servings (yield): 4
ang sarap naman nito ms cons. nakakapaglaway! lalo na yung toasties..grabe. may mushroom na may cheese pa.. two of my favorite ingredients.
i’m gonna make this ms. cons for breakfast kesa snack.=)pwede rin kaya monterey jack cheese dito? medyo mapait kasi yun eh.
Monterey jack is one of my favorite cheeses and I find that it’s good with anything.
masrap nga! i tried it today ms. cons. we all loved it! thank you!
wow!
hi ms connie,
im an avid fan of your site. kakainspire magluto by just looking at the pictures. ang sarap naman sa haus nyo, parang “everyday gourmet”…
my husband really loves pesto but our usual accompaniment is pesto crusted chicken fillets. with mushrooms, i think this will be a regular in our dinner table. dali pa iprepare as long as i have ready homemade pesto. even if we arrive home at 9pm, 15-20mins and dinner will be ready!
Oh, and you can try other kinds of mushrooms or even a combination of two or more different mushrooms.
I did the buttered sauteed mushrooms with pesto— and added black sliced olives! It was a hit with my family! Thanks!
Wow! Looks great and that’s coming from someone who does not really like to eat mushroom. Very nice!
I should taste this recipe from the looks of the pics its really looks so inviting, thanks