Mushroom Butterflies

For a delicate dinner or lunch pasta, try my mushroom sauce tossed with bow-tie or butterfly shapes. Try to use extra-virgin olive oil for flavor when cooking this dish, since there are so few ingredients. It's not necessary to season the pasta with salt if using Parmesan cheese, as it's a bit salty. And if you opt for the Parmesan, freshly grated is a must!

Trim mushroom stems and wipe caps clean with a paper towel. Slice lengthwise.

Toss mushrooms, shallots and garlic with oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, for 10 minutes. Season with pepper. Toss in 1/3 cup parsley and lemon zest. Cook 1 minute longer. Reserve, covered, on the stove.

Shortly before serving, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water, stirring once, 6-8 minutes or until AL DENTE. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Toss pasta with mushrooms and reserved liquid; then toss with Parmesan and serve immediately, or serve the cheese alongside. Garnish with remaining tablespoon of chopped parsle