MUSHROOM AL FORNO

SLOW COOK
SERVES 4 - 6

1 oz (25g) dried porcini mushrooms

FOR BECHAMEL

5 tbsp (75g) butter 4 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cups (750ml) milk
salt, black pepper, nutmeg

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30g) butter
8 0z (250g) cremini or wild mushrooms, finely sliced
1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lb (500g) dried pasta
6 tbsp freshly grated parmesan

Soak the porcini. Drain mushroom pieces, reserving the soaking liquid, and finely chop. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C ).
For bechamel, melt butter over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook until foaming, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually pour in milk, whisking constantly. Return to heat and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Stir in porcini mushrooms and reserved soaking liquid. In a small pan, melt butter with oil and add fresh mushrooms, thyme, and garlic. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are just colored, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in to bechamel.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, until just firm to the bite. Drain. Combine drained pasta and mushroom bechamel. Add 2 tbsp of the parmesan. Toss. Place in a buttered 12in x 8in x 3in (30cm x 20cm x 7.5cm) oven-proof dish. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan over top. Bake until golden and bubbling, 10 minutes. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

WHICH PASTA?

Tubes or shells - penne, macaroni, rigatoni, conchiglie.

THINK AHEAD

Assemble and leave to cool completely unbaked. Cover, unbaked, and refrigerate up to 1 day in advance. Alternatively, freeze up to 3 weeks in advance. Defrost overnight in refrigerator. Cook in preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 30 minutes.

MUSHROOM, WHITE WINE AND CREAM

QUICK COOK - SERVES 4

1 lb (500g) dried pasta
2 tbsp (30g) butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
8oz (250g) cremini or wild mushrooms, finely sliced
4 tbsp white wine
1/2 cup (125ml) heavy cream
salt, black pepper
freshly grated parmesan to serve

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted waler, until firm to the bite. While pasta is cooking, melt butter with oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until just colored, 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer until just evaporated. Stir in cream and simmer gently until just thickened, 1-2 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water. Add pasla to the hot sauce. Toss well to coat, adding reserved water as needed. Serve immediately with parmesan.

WHICH PASTA?

Medium to wide ribbons - fettuccine, tagliatelle, pappardelle.

COOKS' NOTE

Use portobello or cremini mushrooms for this dish if wild mushrooms are beyond the budget or not available. For a superlative dish with an even deeper mushroom flavor, we strongly recommend adding dried porcini mushrooms (see variation below).

VARIATION
PORCINI, WHITE WINE, AND CREAM SAUCE
Soak loz (25g) packet of dried porcini. Finely chop and add to the hot pan with the garlic and fresh mushrooms. Cook as directed. Add the reserved mushroom soaking liquid with the wine. Finish as directed.

WILD MUSHROOM PERSILLADE

QUICK COOK - SERVES 4

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 lb (500g)wild mushrooms, sliced
salt, black pepper 1 lb (500g) dried pasta
4 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
additional freshly grated parmesan

Heat oil in a skillet. Add garlic and shallots and cook over medium high heat until fragrant, 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and colored, 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water, until firm to the bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Add pasta with parmesan and parsley to the hot mushrooms. Toss well to coat, adding reserved water as needed. Serve immediately with additional parmesan.

WHICH PASTA?

Strands or thin to medium ribbons - spaghetti, fettuccine, tagliatelle.

COOKS' NOTE
There are many varieties of wild mushrooms. You can use a single variety or a mixture for this recipe. Our preferred choice would be fresh porcini or chanterelles, but portobello mushrooms and cremini mushrooms have a good rich flavor, are easy to find and inexpensive.

Mushrooms In The Pasta Pantry

The very best and most authentic mushrooms for pasta are the meaty textured, earthy flavored porcini and boletus varieties, but cultivated cremini and portobello mushrooms, especially in combination with dried porcini, are an acceptable and economical substitute. White button mushrooms, however, are not. To boost and enhance the flavor of cultivated mushrooms, mix 1/2oz (15g) of dried porcini with 8oz (250g) fresh mushrooms. Never wash fresh mushrooms under running water. To clean, use a damp cloth or piece of paper towel and wipe away any dirt.
When buying dried porcini, choose the packets with the largest mushroom pieces, as they come from the caps. The smaller, crumbly bits are the dried stalks and have less flavor than the caps. Porcini should be reconstituted in hot water for a minimum of 30 minutes. Try the following alternative method when making creamy mushroom sauces: place the porcini in small pan with equal amounts of water and milk to cover. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Use the soaked mushrooms and flavorful milky soaking liquid in the sauce. Dried porcini will keep in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.