Fresh Pasta With Mushrooms and Pesto

8oz. sliced mushrooms

1 lg. clove elephant garlic

extra virgin olive oil

a little ground cayenne pepper

fresh ground garlic-sea salt

6.5 oz. basil pesto

1c whole Kalamata* olives

7 lg. cherry tomatoes - quartered

1c grated Parmesan cheese

1 9oz. pkg. fresh pasta

Combine mushrooms, grated garlic, olive oil and seasonings in a non-stick pan.  Stir and saute' adding a little water as it all begins to brown.  Simmer, covered, until mushrooms have reduced in size by about one half.  Stir in the next four ingredients (*I substituted Kalamatas for the green olives (shown in first photo) since the green were a bit too assertive.  Kalamatas are colored nicely, and their flavor blends better with the pesto.)  Simmer, covered on very low.  Or, bring to a sizzle, then shut off the heat.

Meanwhile, boil 3-4 qts. of water, to which several tablespoons of olive oil have been added.  Break open the pasta, fluff and separate, dropping it into boiling oiled-water.  Simmer 3-5 minutes once temperature returns to a boil.  Drain, combine with rest of the ingredients in a large casserole dish.  Serve immediately or chill - to blend flavors - then heat and serve the next day.  It's been a while since I created something with such a decidedly Italian flavor to it!  It was nice, and I'll do this more often.  (Chopped, drained, canned artichokes would be a wonderful addition to this.) . .Lin