Dried Porcini & Tomato Sauce with Fusilli
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Dried porcini and tomato sauce folds earthy rehydrated mushrooms and their soaking liquid into a garlicky canned tomato base, then tosses it with fusilli. A deep, umami-rich vegetarian pasta dinner.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minDried porcini and tomato sauce with fusilli is the pantry pasta that tastes like a long-simmered Sunday gravy but comes together in the time it takes to boil water. The magic here is in the dried mushrooms. An ounce of porcini soaked in hot water for half an hour rehydrates into meaty, savory chunks while leaving behind a dark, deeply umami broth. That soaking liquid gets strained through cheesecloth to catch any grit, then poured straight into the sauce for a concentration of flavor you can’t fake with fresh mushrooms alone.
Shallots and garlic soften in olive oil, the chopped porcini join for a quick toast, and a can of pureed tomatoes goes in with fresh thyme to simmer down into something thick and glossy. Fusilli’s spirals grab the sauce in all those twists, so every forkful drags up mushroom bits and pan juice.
Chef Tips
- Save all the mushroom soaking liquid, not just the quarter cup called for. Freeze the rest in ice cube trays for future risottos, soups, or sauces. It’s liquid gold.
- Strain the porcini broth through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Dried mushrooms carry grit that will make the sauce taste sandy if you skip this step.
- Finish the pasta in the sauce pan with a splash of starchy cooking water. That step emulsifies the sauce so it clings to every spiral instead of pooling in the bottom of the bowl.
Variations
- Add a splash of dry red wine to the sauce after the garlic for more depth and an acidic edge.
- Stir a spoonful of mascarpone or heavy cream into the finished sauce for a richer, rosy take.
- Swap fusilli for rigatoni, pappardelle, or gnocchi if that’s what you have. Any shape with ridges or twists will catch the sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Add the mushrooms in a bowl or a measuring cup and cover with hot water.
Let soak about 30 minutes, until soft.
Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl.
Drain the mushrooms and squeeze them over the strainer.
Then rinse in several changes of water or under running water and coarsely chop.
Measure out ¼ cup of the mushroom soaking liquid.
Heat a large pot of water for the pasta.
Add the oil in a large, wide, heavy nonstick frying pan over medium heat and stir in the shallots or onion.
Cook, stirring, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant, then stir in the mushrooms and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant, stir constantly.
Pour in the tomatoes and their juice, the reserved ¼ cup of mushroom soaking liquid, the thyme and ½ teaspoon salt.
Mix and turn up the heat.
When the tomatoes start bubbling, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until thick and fragrant, 18 to 20 minutes.
Stir in black pepper and salt and to taste. Keep warm.
When the pasta water comes to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt into the pasta.
Cook al dente, following the timing directions on the package but checking a minute or two before the suggested time is up.
Remove ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water and stir into the mushroom sauce.
When the pasta is cooked through but still firm to the bite, remove another ½ cup water, drain the pasta and toss with the sauce in the frying pan if possible.
If you wish to thin out the sauce or moisten the pasta further, add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water or more of the mushroom soaking liquid.
Serve hot with some grated parmesan on top.
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