Creamy Penne & Mushrooms

We love trying new pasta dishes.  After making this creamy penne meal we decided it would have to be one of the Vossen house favorites from now on. It is such a basic recipe that I can see myself making adjustments here and there in the future to accommodate whatever foods I have on hand. This recipe calls for sun-dried tomatoes but I made my own version which I like even better. I take a can of diced tomatoes and drain them; spread them out on a baking sheet; lightly drizzle them with olive oil and then bake them at 375 F for 30 minutes. These tomatoes are lighter than sun-dried and are like a little burst of candy in this dish.
Creamy Penne & Mushrooms
Recipe slightly changed from "Perfect Italian"
4 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. cremini or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
salt/pepper
1 Tbs. flour
1 c. heavy cream or half & half
4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained & chopped*
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese
12 oz. penne
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
Start a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil for your pasta. Meanwhile, in a separate large sauce pan, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until tender. Add mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle flour over mushrooms. Stir for a minute more. Turn heat to low and add cream and nutmeg stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Add cooked pasta to the mushrooms sauce and mix with cheese and parsley - serve immediately.
*I used 14.5 oz diced canned tomatoes, drained, and placed on a baking sheet. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and bake at 375 F for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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