Spaghetti with Dried Porcini Mushroom Cream — Youtube Cooking

A creamy porcini pasta made with rehydrated dried mushrooms, aromatics, tomatoes, and Parmesan. The sauce can be blended smooth or left partly rustic.

Ingredients

• 40–60 g dried porcini mushrooms
• Spaghetti, or another pasta such as penne, paccheri, tagliatelle, or fettuccine
• A small onion or shallot, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped, with the inner sprout removed if desired
• Cherry, datterini, or Pachino tomatoes, halved
• Fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
• Salt, as needed
• Coarsely ground black pepper, as needed
• 40–50 g Parmesan, grated
• Butter, 1 knob or amount to taste
• Heavy cream, optional, added gradually to soften the flavor
• Water, for soaking the mushrooms and cooking the pasta

Instructions

• Place the dried porcini in a container and cover them completely with water. Soak for 15–20 minutes.
• Finely chop the onion, garlic, and parsley.
• Heat a little olive oil in a pan over low heat. Add the garlic, onion, and a little parsley, and gently sauté.
• Drain the mushrooms, squeeze them well, and reserve the soaking water. Chop the mushrooms into medium-sized pieces.
• Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook briefly.
• Halve the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Increase the heat to medium.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add a ladleful of the reserved mushroom-soaking water, then add more as needed while the sauce cooks. Begin heating a separate pot of pasta water.
• Simmer the mushroom mixture until the flavors concentrate and the sauce reaches a suitable consistency.
• Blend the sauce completely for a smooth cream, or blend it intermittently or partially for a more rustic texture.
• Return the blended sauce to the pan. Add a little pasta-cooking water to loosen it, then keep it warm over low heat.
• Turn off the heat, add the butter, and stir until melted.
• Cover the sauce and let it rest briefly.
• Taste the sauce and adjust the salt. If the flavor is too strong, gradually stir in a little cream.
• Cook the pasta in salted water until one minute short of the package cooking time.
• Transfer the pasta to the sauce and finish cooking it in the pan, mixing thoroughly. Add a little pasta water if needed.
• Stir in the grated Parmesan and serve immediately.