Creamy Mushroom Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 2 medium or large chicken breasts (optional)
• 1 pound whole-wheat or whole-grain spaghetti
• 1 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms - shiitake, crimini, any that catch your eye at market
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
• 2 leeks
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (non alcoholic chardonnay)
• 1/2 cup cream
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, for topping
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat water to a boil for the pasta, salt water, drop in pasta and cook to al dente.

2. Wipe mushrooms clean with damp towel. Remove woody stems. Thinly slice the mushrooms.

3. Heat a large deep skillet with extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until deeply golden and tender, 10 minutes.

4. While mushrooms cook, halve the leeks lengthwise. Cut off a couple of inches from tough tops. Trim off root end. Thinly slice the leek then vigorously wash in a large bowl of cold water, separating all the layers to free of grit. Let leeks sit a few minutes then lift out of the water and dry on kitchen towel.

5. Add leeks to mushrooms along with garlic and season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more then add wine, reduce half a minute then stir in cream and heat through. Toss pasta with mushrooms and adjust seasoning. Top with grated cheese at the table.