RECIPE: Mushroom Pasta with Greens

While I'm trying to catch up on last year's posting drought, I have been adding those recipes that can be made now, with what's currently in the farm store (or with things you froze last summer).  I'm saving those like ketchup and relish for when there are cucumbers and tomatoes in the farm store.  This recipe, though, can be made year round because it uses mushrooms, which our farm doesn't grow.  The only farm produce used is garlic and onions, and broth if you make your own, but there haven't been many bones lately.  

Two years ago, I had this in a restaurant, and it was so good I decided to recreate it.  It's the most intense mushroom pasta ever!  It's also very rich, and needs the green garnish to balance it.  In winter, when there isn't arugula in the farm store, you could use peas, frozen in spring.  If you grow microgreens (I used to do this), they would be good as well.

I combined several recipes to create the sauce.  

Mushroom Pasta with Greens

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

For mushroom sauce:

• 2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 T. ghee
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 t. each ground dried rosemary, thyme and sage
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup beef broth
  

For pasta:

• 1 pound pasta, preferably cascatelli, mafaldine, or another shape with ruffled edges
  
• 2 T. butter
• 1.5 pounds mixed mushrooms - baby bella, shiitake, and maitake, sliced 1/4" thick
  
• 2 T. sprouted oat flour
• 1/4 c. heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional, for garnish:
  
• 1 pound baby arugula or other tender green, mixed with 2 t. olive oil and 1 t. lemon juice
  
• shavings of Pecorino cheese for garnish 
• toasted pine nuts for garnish
  
• Espelette, Aleppo, Silk, or another mild flake chile for garnish
  

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Make the sauce:

Combine dried mushrooms and warm water in a medium bowl and let stand until mushrooms soften, about 30 minutes.  Remove the mushrooms from the liquid squeezing excess liquid from the mushrooms back into the bowl.  Reserve the liquid, place mushrooms in another bowl.

Heat the ghee in large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until brown, about 15 minutes.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute.  Add wine, increase heat, and boil until most liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes.  Add herbs, reconstituted mushrooms, and both broths.  Pour in the reserved mushroom liquid (I pour it through a sieve lined with cheesecloth) leaving any sediment behind.  Boil until liquid is reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes.  Transfer into a blender jar and puree.  Set aside.  Set aside the saute pan, you will be using it again.

Make the pasta:

If you're using mafaldine, break it into 1.5" pieces. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions, until al dente (the white center has just disappeared).  Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in the large saute pan on high heat.  Add the sliced mushrooms and saute until they're crisp on the edges, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium, add the flour and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Return the pureed mushroom sauce to the pan and stir to combine.   Add the cream, simmer for 2-3 minutes, then drop the heat to medium-low until the pasta is cooked.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the drained pasta to the sauce.  Stir to combine and use the reserved pasta water to thin it, if it's too thick.   

Serve garnished with the arugula, shaved pecorino, pine nuts and a generous sprinkle of pepper flakes.