Mushroom Marsala Pasta with Pancetta and Kale

I am not really a pasta person, but I will order mushroom marsala anything at all times. Unfortunately in restaurants mushroom marsala is ALWAYS paired with dairy so when I was hit with an overwhelming craving for the mushroom marsala pasta from Macaroni Grill (the love of my childhood pasta eating life) I had to come up with a version I could eat.

My Macaroni Grill dream version is heavy on cream and cheese and comes with chicken. I like pancetta better for the dairy free version, but it would also be excellent fully vegan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil or vegan butter to make up for the lost pancetta fat. This pasta is super quick and low effort, it’s perfect for a weeknight, especially a chilly one.

Mushroom Marsala Pasta with Pancetta and Kale

Ingredients

4oz pancetta or bacon, diced 

2 shallots, finely chopped

1lb cremini mushrooms, stems removed, chopped into pieces 

1 cup dry marsala

½ cup dairy free sour cream, I use Forager brand 

½ lb small pasta like orichette or shells,  ½ cup of cooking water reserved 

1 bunch lactino kale, stemmed and torn into bite size pieces

Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste 

For the Pasta

Boil the pasta in salty water 1-2 minutes less than package instructions say, reserve ½ cup of cooking water 

Start the pancetta pieces in a large cold skillet, turn on medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes until they are moderately crispy and the fat has started to render (if you cut corners on this step your pasta will not be as good) 

Turn the pan up to medium, add the shallots and cook for a minute or two in the pancetta fat

Add the mushrooms, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes (if using) cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked down

Add marsala and cook for 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced by half 

Add sour cream, reserved pasta water, cooked pasta, and kale, and cook stirring occasionally until the kale has wilted 3-4 minutes