I have been a huge fan of The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond’s cooking blog for years. I have mentioned her here before, and she even commented on my Poached Egg and Avocado on Toast recipe on Tasty Kitchen (eek!). I have loved watching her and her family in real life on her Food Network Show, and when I make her recipes, they are always boyfriend-friendly.
Tim loves whiskey (ha), and when Ree posted recipe for pasta with whiskey in it, I knew he would love it. The only problem is, we are trying to eat healthy, and with lots of carbs and cream, it wasn’t the best option. So I took matters into my own hands and adapted Ree’s recipe to be a little healthier, but still delicious.
This is my healthy take on The Pioneer Woman’s Pasta with Whiskey, Wine, and Mushrooms. I added spinach, used extra onion and mushrooms, and swapped out most of the cream for Greek yogurt. I left the alcohol proportions the same (why not?!), and swapped regular pasta for Barilla Pasta Plus. At 316 calories per serving, it was diet friendly and “cowboy-approved!”
Pasta with Whiskey, Wine, Spinach, and Mushrooms
adapted from The Pioneer Woman
serves 4
20 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
1 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Large Onion, Peeled And Sliced
3 cups Baby Spinach
1/2 cup Dry White Wine
1/3 cups Jack Daniels Whiskey
1/4 cup Chicken Broth
2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (I used Fage 0%, because that’s what was on hand)
6 ounces penne – whole wheat or Barilla Pasta Plus
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle mushrooms with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Set aside.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Drain, let cool, squeeze out the water, and chop.
In a large pot, heat additional olive oil along with the butter over medium heat. Throw in the sliced onions and saute for about 8 minutes, until translucent and softened. Pour in wine and whiskey and allow to bubble for 3-5 minutes. Pour in broth and allow the liquid to reduce for a few minutes. Stir in cream and reduce heat to low. Add mushrooms, spinach, salt, and pepper, and simmer until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.
Toss in cooked pasta, using a little hot pasta water if sauce needs a little thinning. Taste for seasonings and serve immediately.
Sweet Life Laur 
This sounds amazing, though I admit I don’t usually just have Jack Daniels on hand as part of my regular pantry ingredients. Would I miss out significantly on the flavor if I made this as pasta with wine, spinach and mushrooms?
I think it would taste amazing without the whiskey, but it would definitely be a different dish. The whiskey added more flavor than I was expecting! Maybe you can pick up a mini bottle next time you see one and just add that in for a hint of the whiskey flavor. Let me know what you think!