Whole Wheat Linguine with Mushrooms and Lemon-Garlic Gremolata

My family came out to visit my husband and I for Christmas.  We had a great visit (and some great food, of course).  I made a few of my favorite recipes for my family, but one night my brother said he was going to cook.  Now you might think I was nervous, but I wasn't at all.  My brother is a great cook!  I'm tellin' ya - this has a lot to do with my mother who is a great home cook (and by the way, so was my grandmother).  The following recipe is one of my brother's "go-to" recipes.  He has made it so many times that he no longer needs the original recipe, and now just cooks it by "feel and what looks good" - love when that happens.  It all started one day at work when my brother's co-worker heated up something in the microwave for lunch that smelled so good he just couldn't stand it anymore, and asked her what in the world she was eating.  I'm so glad she gave him the recipe and the cookbook reference.  The original recipe is from Vegan Planet: 400 Irresistible recipes with Fantastic Flavors from Home and Around the World by Robin Robinson. The linguine recipe is on pg. 242 and the gremolata is on pg. 243.  The following is my brother's version.

Whole Wheat Linguine with Mushrooms and Lemon-Garlic Gremolata
For the Gremolata
1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
5 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
grated zest of one lemon (the largest you can find), reserve the juice from 1/2 of lemon

For the Linguine with Mushrooms
1 lb box of whole wheat linguine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium shallot, minced
2 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (First choice: 1 pack oyster and 1 pack cremini; Second choice: 1 Large pack of oyster, crimini, and shiitake; Third choice: 1 pack white mushrooms and 1 pack baby portabella mushrooms)
salt and pepper
1 recipe gremolata, above
garnish with shaved Parmesan

1) Mince the garlic, parsley, and lemon zest together until well blended.  Makes about 1/3 cup. Cover and refrigerate (can be refrigerated up to 24 hours - but the fresher the better).

2) Cook the linguine from box directions to al dente - usually 8 - 10 minutes.

3) While the pasta is cooking heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-low heat.  Add the shallots and cover and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the pan; cook mushrooms until softened and cooked through. (If you use the white and baby bella mushroom mixture, continue cooking the mushrooms until there are no natural juices left).  Add mushrooms to the gremolata mixture.

4) Drain the pasta and place back into the pasta pot for easy tossing (no heat).  Add the mushroom mixture, the remaining olive oil, and the gremolata. Toss gently to combine and serve in a pasta bowl at once. (Goes great with sauteed chicken if your not a vegan).