Penne with Brie Sauce

I am a cheese fan... I mean I really LOVE cheese. So when brie was marked down last week I went to work coming up with uses for it. I finally settled on a penne pasta with brie sauce. 

 

(darn that yellow wall in my kitchen)

This is a very versatile pasta, so add in whatever veggies are fresh and in season. Next time I may add in some arugula or asparagus. 

You can make the sauce for this dish ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. Then dinner will take about 15 minutes to prepare that night. 

Ingredients

• 12 oz. penne pasta, uncooked
• 1 can diced tomatoes, with about half the liquid drained
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1  8 oz. wedge of Brie cheese, cubed
• 3/4 cup fresh basil, rinsed and chopped
• 1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 or 2 tsp diced smoked sundried tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
• *extra basil for garnish, optional
• 
  
• Directions
• 1. Warm 2 Tbs olive oil in a pan over med-low heat. Saute the sun-dried tomatoes and minced garlic until the garlic begins to soften and get slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the brie, mushrooms, chopped basil, remaining olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and combine well. Cover the mixing bowl with foil and put it in the fridge for an hour or two to let it marinate. 
  2. Prepare the pasta according to the manufacturer's directions in a large pot. Take the sauce out of the fridge and let it come to room temperate as the pasta cooks.
  3. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot.  Add the sauce and toss the pasts until it's coated well. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring often, until the sauce is heated through and the cheese begins to melt. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and basil.