Penne with Creamy Mushroom Medley

This is a recipe that is simple, yet impressive if you serve it to guests.  It looks very fancy and expensive and like you could order it at a restaurant, but it couldn't be easier and it's extremely affordable depending on the type of mushroom(s) you use.  I'm sure there are some crazy expensive shrooms on the market but for this I simply use baby portobello from Costco.  That's it.  In fact, I don't even use exclusively penne pasta as the title suggests.  And since I only use one kind of mushroom I guess in my house this would actually be called "Whatever Pasta I Have with One Type of Mushroom in a Cream Sauce"...but that's a little tedious when the hubs asks "What's for dinner tonight?".  Anyway, I'll list the ingredients as they are in the original recipe, but keep in mind it's versatile.  Some pasta suggestions could be Ziti, Farfale, Gemelli, Rigatoni, Pappardelle, Penne, or Cannelloni.

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 shallots, peeled and finely sliced (or 1 small onion)

6 oz. button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

6 oz. oyster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

6 oz. chanterelle or shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

salt and pepper; to taste

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. flour

3 tablespoons Marsala wine (or beef broth)

1/3 cup heavy cream

12 oz. penne pasta

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over low heat.  Add the shallots and cook over medium heat until they're caramelized.  

Add the mushrooms and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and the garlic powder.  Dust the mushrooms with the flour and continue to cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring until all of the water releasted from the mushrooms has evaporated.  Add the Marsala wine (or broth) and cook until it disappears.

Remove the skillet from the heat and gradually stir in the cream.  Return the pan to the heat, add additional salt and pepper to taste and cook on low until the sauce starts to get creamy. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.  Drain the pasta well and add it to the skillet with the mushroom sauce.  Stir the pasta with the sauce until every noodle is coated.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.