Tagliatelle with mushroom sauce

 

Sometimes (mainly in winter) you want a nice hearty pasta dish. Most of the time that means adding meat, but in this recipe plenty of chunky mushrooms and touch of tomato paste make a substantial, satisfying sauce that still doesn't weigh you, or the noodles, down too much. Dried mushrooms add that earthy depth.

Tagliatelle with mushroom sauce

Adapted from “Italian Kitchen” by Anna Del Conte

Ingredients

1 ounces dried porcini

1 pound mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced

5 tablespoons butter, divided

4 shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoons flour

1 cup stock

2/3 cup dry white wine

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 pound tagliatelle

Grated Parmesan for garnish

Method

Cover dried porcini with very hot water and let soak for 30 minutes. Remove from liquid and rinse if they are still gritty. Chop and set aside. Strain reserved mushroom soaking liquid through a fine sieve.

Start heating pasta water.

Heat 2½ tablespoons butter over medium heat in a deep skillet. Add shallots and a pinch of salt, and cook until soft. Add garlic and herbs and cook another minute. Add tomato paste and stir in well. Add dried porcini and cook for about 5 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, lower the heat and cook for another 5 minutes, adding a bit of reserved mushroom liquid if the mixture becomes dry.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 ½ tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan. Whisk in flour and cook for a minute to make a roux. Add broth and cook and stir until well blended. Add the wine, nutmeg and a bit of the reserved mushroom liquid to give it the flavor. Cook over medium low heat for about 15 minutes.

Stir sauce into mushroom mixture and heat through while cooking pasta until almost done. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Toss sauce with cooked pasta until al dente. Serve garnished with Parmesan.

Rating: Not bad. The sauce is just the right consistency: not too thick from the flour to be cloying but enough to coat the pasta nicely. Deep mushroom flavors come through.