Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
400 gm penne pasta (or any other choice)
400 gm frozen spinach (drained)
230 gm button mushrooms (canned, sliced, drained)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 litre cooking cream + half a cup of full cream plain milk
2 tbsp olive oil
30 gm butter
Salt (to taste) + pepper + grated nutmeg + dried basil

Method:
In a large cooking pot filled with plenty of boiling salted water; add pasta and cook to al dente as per manufacturer’s instructions.  Meanwhile; in another cooking pot, heat oil and butter.  Stir garlic over medium-low heat; only until translucent.  Season and stir until aromatic; without garlic turning dark.  Add spinach.  Stir until dried.  Add mushroom, bouillons, milk and cream.  Bring to a pre boil.  Remove away from heat.  Drain pasta; reserving some pasta waters; approximately a quarter to half a cup aside.   Gently stir in pasta.  Add pasta waters as needed; to moisten.  Taste for salt.  Bring back to a pre boil.  Transfer to a serving dish.   Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on top of pasta.  Serve with a bowl of extra Parmesan aside.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 29 August, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly