But, back to my Italian kick. On the walking tour, the guide took us to several Italian markets, starting at the pastry shop. My mom and I discovered this before the tour and had already introduced ourselves to the goods, but I purchased some canolis, anyway.
We also stopped at a few places that sold "artisanal pasta," which is another way of saying "expensive." To be fair, though, the pasta is shaped with bronze dies, which makes for a rougher surface and, thus, allowing more of the sauce to stick. And they have it in whole wheat?! I had to purchase a bag. . .or three.
With my recent acquisition of gourmet pasta comes a desire to make a delicious sauce. I've made a few homemade pasta sauces before and they have always been delicious, so I was excited to try something new. I love mushrooms, so I thought a mushroom ragu would be nice. I also love NPR and the Splendid Table, so when I came across a recipe for mushroom ragu from no other than Lynne Rossetto Kasper, I had to try it.
Despite the long list of ingredients, this recipe is fairly easy, but I wouldn't say it's something that you'd throw together on a Tuesday night. It takes some time to soak, chop, simmer, and stir, but it's fairly worth it. I mean, it wasn't the most amazing thing I've put in my mouth, but it was healthy and I like mushrooms, so I was happy. My one major complaint is that after freezing and reheating, some of the mushrooms became chewy. Or, maybe those were the dried mushrooms that I didn't soak long enough. I guess we'll never know.
Wild Mushroom Ragu
Adapted from The Splendid Table
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup dried wild mushrooms
2 dry-packed sun-dried tomato halves (I used "smoked" because that's all my grocery store had on a Sunday night, and it was interesting. I'd probably go for not smoked next time.)
1 pound fresh wild mushrooms (I used shiitake, cremini, and portobello)
1 1/2 tsp olive oil (I probably used more)
2 medium white onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (I used dried)
1 28-oz can Italian peeled tomatoes, chopped, with their juices
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (I added this because it's good)
Fresh parmigiano-reggiano for garnish
Directions:
Pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms and tomatoes in a small bowl, cover, and set aside to soak until softened, at least 15 minutes.
Wipe the fresh mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Trim off the tough stems and discard. If you are using portobellos, cut out the black gills and discard. Cut large mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices through the stem; leave smaller ones (under 1 inch) whole.
In a medium saucepan, combine the olive oil, onions, and garlic, cover, and cook over medium heat until the onions begin to wilt, about 5 minutes. Uncover and sauté until they are just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, scoop the dried mushrooms and tomatoes into a strainer, reserving the soaking liquid. Rinse them under cool water to remove any grit and press them with the back of a spoon to squeeze out the water. Coarsely chop them and set aside.
Carefully spoon about 3/4 cup of the soaking liquid into the saucepan with the onions, leaving behind any grit. Add the red wine and thyme and boil for 1 minute. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the canned tomatoes and their juices, the chopped dried mushrooms and tomatoes, the sugar, and salt. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and the ragù is thick, about 15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, let simmer for a few minutes, then pepper generously. Garnish with freshly-sliced parmigiano-reggiano.
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