Pasta recipe makes fine vegetarian meal

We get lots of mail from readers requesting more vegetarian meals. Whether you eat vegetarian every day or enjoy meatless entrees once a week, we can all use a terrific vegetarian recipe.

Pasta is one of the easiest vegetarian meals, and we never tire of new twists on old favorites. Our only "rule" with these meatless dinners is to serve a bit more pasta since the sauces tend to be lighter without the heavy protein. In today's recipe, Mushroom Bowtie Rustica, we cook 12 ounces of pasta to serve four. (Since bowtie pasta is most often sold in 12-ounce packages, you won't need to weigh or measure it. If you have a box that is 16 ounces, go ahead and cook it. There's plenty of sauce.)

With the tri-color vegetable bowtie pasta (the colors usually come from spinach, tomato and carrot or pumpkin), this pasta really packs the flavor punch. Children love the fun bowtie shapes, and if your kids are still spreading their culinary wings, just serve a bit of the sauce on the side as they get used to the new flavors.

For even more flavor, you can add just about any other vegetable (half a bell pepper, fresh chopped tomatoes or even carrots) along with the onion. Mushroom Bowtie Rustica is simple and satisfying, not to mention flexible and fun.

Menu: Mushroom Bowtie Rustica

Field greens with bottled vinaigrette

Garlic cheese bread

MUSHROOM BOWTIE RUSTICA

Start to finish: 20 minutes

1 package (12 ounces) tri-color bowtie pasta

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion (for about 1/2 cup chopped)

8 ounces fresh button mushrooms

1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) vegetable broth

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

2 tablespoons half-and-half

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup water

Shredded or grated Parmesan cheese, optional for serving

Place the pasta in 2 1/2 quarts of already-boiling unsalted water and cook until tender, 9 to 11 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a 2-quart saucepan. Peel and finely chop the onion, adding it to pan as you chop. Wash and stem the mushrooms and coarsely chop, adding them to the pan as you chop. Stir and cook the vegetables until the onion is tender and the mushrooms have released their liquid, about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic, vegetable broth, tomato sauce and half-and-half, then stir well. Place the cornstarch and water in a small container that has a lid, and shake to mix well. Drizzle the cornstarch mixture evenly over the vegetable sauce and stir to mix well. Reduce heat to low and stir occasionally until slightly thick and the pasta is done.

When the pasta is done and the sauce is thickened, drain the pasta and divide it among 4 shallow pasta bowls and top with the mushroom sauce. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serves 4.

Approximate values per serving: 380 calories (10 percent from fat), 4 g fat (1 g saturated), 3 mg cholesterol, 14 g protein, 74 g carbohydrates, 4.7 g dietary fiber, 769 mg sodium.

Beverly Mills is a former food editor of the Miami Herald food section and a mother of two; Alicia Ross, a former food columnist for The Raleigh News and Observer, also has two children. Send desperate tales of woe or everyday success stories and your favorite quick recipes to Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Or visit the Desperation Dinners Web site at www.desperationdinners.com. You can e-mail Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross at bev-aliciadesperationdinners.com. © United Feature Syndicate Inc.

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