Seafood Pasta with Cognac Tomato Cream Sauce

 

INGREDIENTS:

Salt
1 ½ pound penne or bow tie pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ pound sliced baby bella mushrooms (any kind of mushroom you like or none at all)
2 large shallots, chopped
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup of cognac or sherry or vodka
½ cup of seafood stock, clam juice or chicken stock (whatever you have on hand)
1 (15 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes
1 pound cooked lump crab meat (or lobster meat)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup cream
½ cup mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped thyme

DIRECTIONS:

Heat large pot of salted water for pasta. Add to pot when water is at a rolling boil.
Heat large skillet over medium heat with olive oil. Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, and rosemary and sauté until start to brown. Deglaze the pan with cognac (sherry or vodka), stir in tomatoes and bring to a bubble. Add seafood, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir in mascarpone cheese and stir until melted in. Add cream and remove from heat. 
Toss hot pasta with sauce, top with grated parmesan cheese and freshly chopped parsley.