Meatless Monday - Fettucine with Creamy Mushroom and Bean Sauce

We had company over for dinner, so I decided to use them as "guinea pigs" for this recipe.  Unfortunately, I was so caught up in conversation that I forgot to take a picture.  But let me tell you, this meal was DELICIOUS!  I served it with the Chick Pea Salad from a previous post.

I got the recipe from one of my FAVOURITE cookbooks: "Gourmet Vegetarian: The Vegetarian Recipes You Must Have" by Jane Price.

Reasons why I love this cookbook:

1. The pictures are beautiful and inspiring.
2. The recipes are interesting.
3. Everything I have tried so far has been delicious.
4. Even though it is says "gourmet", the most of the recipes use ingredients that I can buy at a small town grocery store.  There are some things that you would need to get in the city or at an Asian market, but most of the ingredients are pretty easy to find or can be easily substituted.

Okay, here's the recipe:

Fettucine with Creamy Mushroom and Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

• 280g (10oz) fettucine
• 1/4 C sundried tomatoes
• 250g (9oz) green beens, trimmed
• 1 onion
• 250g (9oz) mushrooms
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 125ml (1/2C) white wine
• 310ml (1 1/4C) whipping cream
• 125ml (1/2C) vegetable stock
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp chopped basil
• 100g (2/3C) pine nuts, toasted (see NOTE)
• 50g (1 3/4oz) shaved parmesan cheese
• sprigs of fresh herbs (optional)

NOTE: toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they are golden brown and fragrant.  Watch carefully as they will burn easily.

Directions:

1. Cook the fettucine in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain, return to the pan and keep warm.
2. Cut the sun-dried tomatoes and beans into thin strips.  Chop the onion and thinly slice the mushrooms.
3. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan.  Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until softened.  Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the wine, cream and stock.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl.  Stirring constantly, add a little of the cooking liquid.  Pour the mixture slowly into the pan, stirring constantly for 30 seconds..  Keep the heat low because if the mixture boils, it will curdle.
5. Add the beans, basil, pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes and stir until heated through, then season to taste.
6. Serve the sauce over the pasta.  Garnish with the parmesan shavings and sprigs of fresh herbs, if desired.