Penne Pasta in a Saffron-Mushroom Sauce Recipe

How to make it

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• In a large pan, bring water for pasta to a boil over high heat.
• Meanwhile, in another pan, melt 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the 1 pat of butter over medium heat. Once oil mixture begins to "jump" from the skillet, add all of the mushrooms and sprinkle a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper over them as they sauté.
• Once first pan of water is brought to a boil, mix in about 2 tsp. of salt to the boiling water, followed by the saffron (powder or threads), and then add all of the pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook for amount of time directed on pasta container (normally about 10 minutes).
• When the mushrooms in the second pan begin to lightly brown, add in the 1 c. béchamel sauce and stir into the mushrooms over low-medium heat.
• Once the pasta reaches "al dente," use a colander to drain partially, being sure to leave back some of the water that the pasta cooked in.
• Toss the pasta and some of its water with the béchamel-mushroom sauce, adding as much of the water as desired. Tip: How much water you add will determine how much saffron flavor is infused into the sauce and will also determine the consistency of the sauce. The more water you add, the less creamy your sauce will be. Because saffron is such a strong spice, and because this dish is meant to have a subtle saffron flavor, a small amount of the saffron water will be enough to add flavor while not diluting the creamy texture.
• If desired, grated parmesan cheese can be sprinkled over pasta, or sprinkle parsley over pasta to add some color.