Three Cheese and Mushroom Pasta (Trois Fromage et Champignon)

Sauté the mushrooms in a pan with a small amount of olive oil. It's crucial not to add salt at this stage!

Here's a tip: Mushrooms release all their juices when salted, so if you want them to achieve a beautiful brown color, hold off on adding any salt until just before you remove them from the pan.

Another tip: Don't be alarmed if the mushrooms seem to soak up all the oil immediately after you add them. They're quite 'thirsty' at first, but they will release some of that oil back into the pan along with their juices shortly after.

Once the mushrooms are cooked, remove them from the pan before they burn and set them aside.

Add the garlic to the remaining oil in the pan and sauté for just a few seconds – you simply want to warm it through to release its aromatic oils. Pour the heavy cream into the pan and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Be careful not to overcook it; in fact, you want it slightly undercooked since it will finish cooking in the sauce. Aim to subtract about 1 minute from the recommended al dente cooking time. And here's a crucial tip, as any Food Network chef will emphasize: salt the pasta water! Unsalted pasta is bland. So, grab a small handful of salt (about 3 tablespoons if you're being precise) and toss it into the pot with the vigor of an Iron Chef!

While the pasta boils, add salt and pepper to the sauce (I know you're still energized from that salt-flinging moment, but a little restraint is needed here!). Add the Parmesan cheese, goat cheese, and burrata. Stir all the cheeses into the sauce until it becomes well creamy.

Add the cooked mushrooms and chicken (or shrimp, if using) to the sauce, just long enough to warm them through. Transfer the pasta directly into the sauce. Don't worry if a little pasta water comes along with it – that's perfectly fine. Stir everything together until the pasta and sauce are well combined. Let it cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, then stir in the parsley.

Serve the pasta immediately. If you're preparing this for a bento box, let it cool completely to room temperature before packing it. A quick note: You might observe some separation if the pasta is microwaved. (Just so you know, 'separation' occurs when the sauce breaks, and the oil appears to separate from the other ingredients, often happening when the sauce gets too hot, which is common in a microwave.) To prevent this, store the food in a tightly sealed bento box at room temperature until you're ready to eat it. It's best consumed within five hours of making.