Dried Porcini Pasta
Two approaches to showcase dried porcini mushrooms - one emphasizing creaminess to amplify the mushrooms' mild flavor, another using tomatoes for a rustic ragu preparation. Perfect for using up dried porcini from fall foraging.
Ingredients
- 45 g dried porcini mushrooms (or king boletes)
- 480 ml meat stock (chicken stock preferred)
- Kosher salt to taste
- 60 g shallot (finely diced)
- 60 g pancetta or bacon (finely chopped)
- 1 large garlic clove (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 140 g dried pasta (spaghetti or tagliatelle)
- 1 splash dry white wine
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 1 tbsp chives or parsley
- Small handful fresh spinach leaves
- 1 large Roma tomato (peeled and chopped)
- red pepper flakes (pinch; crushed)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves
- 120 ml pasta cooking water
Instructions
Boil salted water for pasta.
Rehydrate mushrooms in chicken stock for ~15 minutes.
Squeeze mushrooms dry; chop roughly and separate from soaking liquid.
Heat pancetta in oil until fat renders.
Add shallots and garlic; cook 2 minutes.
Stir in chopped mushrooms; cook 1 minute.
Deglaze with wine until evaporated.
Add mushroom stock; reduce by half.
For creamy version: add cream, spinach, and hot pasta; simmer and stir. Add butter and adjust consistency with pasta water.
For rustic version: add tomatoes instead of cream; cook pasta in sauce with butter and mint.