Creamy Shiitake Rotini with a Touch of Green: the 10-Minute Lunch Solution

As my tiny best friend is slowly snoring her way to dreamland, I am taking a few minutes to show you today's lunch idea for a quiet, relaxing Saturday at home. It is creamy, very tasty and perfectly appropriate for a late November's day. I have no idea if chives are in season but I have always found them to pair perfectly with heavy-duty starch- and what do we primarily eat in the winter? Indeed. So here we go.

You will need,

Milk (3/4 cup)

Shiitake mushrooms (I picked up a small pack from the store)

Chives (1/2 bunch)

Basil infused salt

Black pepper

Garlic (4 cloves)

Olive oil (galore)

Rotini (enough for 2, depending on your appetite)

Mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup- again, Parm would be great but I loved the idea of a lighter cheese today)

Zucchini (I threw in half a zucchini as it was laying around the fridge, it added an extra garlic flavour as it soaked its aroma whilst grilling- a great random addition which I recommend!)

A few simple steps,

1. In a large pot over medium heat, throw in the chopped zucchinis, minced garlic, shiitake mushrooms and olive oil- season with salt and pepper

2. Stir for about 10 minutes

3. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring salt water to a boil and cook rotinis for about 7-10 minutes until al dente - drain

4. In the large pot, add milk over the vegetables and stir for 5 minutes

5. Add chives (keep a bit aside for garnish)

6. Leave the pot on the heat until you are happy with the level of milk left (there should be enough to cover the rotinis in a nice sauce, but not too much that your bowl feels runny)

7. Take pot off the heat, add rotinis to the mix and add mozzarella right away (the heat of the pasta straight out of the boiling water will make it melt, no time to spare, act fast!)

8. Serve in bowls with extra black pepper and fresh chives

I hope you enjoy your next lazy day off, with a palatable, distinct shiitake plate of rotinis in a glorious sauce. I adore these family days more than I can describe.