Serves 4
Once you've had your fill of squash and root vegetables, meat-free meals can be a bit challenging in winter. This mushroom ragu, bolstered by some quick-cooking dried red lentils, is tossed with fettuccine for a satisfying supper. Dried mushrooms add an intense layer of mushroom flavor; if you can't find dried shiitakes, try using porcini, oyster mushrooms, or chanterelles. Soak them to reconstitute them and save the soaking water to add to the sauce. To give the tomato paste a deeper flavor, push the vegetables in the pan to one side, add oil to the space you made, and cook the paste with a little sugar until it is dark red and caramelized. Once the sauce comes together, toss it with pasta, and sprinkle with Parmesan shards cut with a vegetable peeler off a wedge of cheese. Nothing dull in this bowl.
| 1 | ounce dried sliced shiitake mushrooms or another dried mushroom |
| 3 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 2 | pounds cremini or button mushrooms, or a combination of varieties, thickly sliced |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 3 | shallots or 1 medium onion, finely chopped |
| 3 | tablespoons tomato paste |
| 1 | teaspoon sugar |
| ¼ | cup Marsala or sherry |
| 6 | tablespoons dried red lentils |
| 2 | teaspoons sherry vinegar |
| 12 | ounces fettucine |
| ½ | cup chopped fresh parsley (for garnish) |
| ½ | cup Parmesan shards, made with a vegetable peeler and wedge of Parmesan (for serving) |
1. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
2. In a bowl, place the dried mushrooms. Pour enough boiling water over the mushrooms to cover them. Soak for 20 minutes. Strain and reserve the soaking liquid. Add enough water to the liquid water to make 3 cups.
3. In a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the mushrooms with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms release most of their liquid and turn a deep, golden brown. Push them to one side of the pan and add the shallots or onion. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the shallots or onion are beginning to soften.
4. Push all the vegetables to the side of the skillet. Move the skillet so that the mushrooms and shallots are off the heat. Turn down the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the empty part of the pan. Add the tomato paste and sugar to the oil. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a deep, rusty red. Stir it into the mushrooms and shallots.
5. Add the dried mushrooms with the 3 cups soaking liquid, Marsala or sherry, and red lentils. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.
6. Stir the vinegar into the ragu. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper, if you like.
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the fettuccine and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but still has some bite. Use a heatproof measuring cup to scoop out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta into a colander but do not rinse it.
8. Stir the pasta into the mushroom ragu in the skillet. If the sauce seems dry, add 1/4 cup or more of the pasta cooking water (you won't use all of it). Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the parsley.
9. Transfer the pasta and sauce to shallow bowls and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Scatter the Parmesan over the top.
Sally Pasley Vargas
Serves 4
Once you've had your fill of squash and root vegetables, meat-free meals can be a bit challenging in winter. This mushroom ragu, bolstered by some quick-cooking dried red lentils, is tossed with fettuccine for a satisfying supper. Dried mushrooms add an intense layer of mushroom flavor; if you can't find dried shiitakes, try using porcini, oyster mushrooms, or chanterelles. Soak them to reconstitute them and save the soaking water to add to the sauce. To give the tomato paste a deeper flavor, push the vegetables in the pan to one side, add oil to the space you made, and cook the paste with a little sugar until it is dark red and caramelized. Once the sauce comes together, toss it with pasta, and sprinkle with Parmesan shards cut with a vegetable peeler off a wedge of cheese. Nothing dull in this bowl.
| 1 | ounce dried sliced shiitake mushrooms or another dried mushroom |
| 3 | tablespoons olive oil |
| 2 | pounds cremini or button mushrooms, or a combination of varieties, thickly sliced |
| Salt and pepper, to taste | |
| 3 | shallots or 1 medium onion, finely chopped |
| 3 | tablespoons tomato paste |
| 1 | teaspoon sugar |
| ¼ | cup Marsala or sherry |
| 6 | tablespoons dried red lentils |
| 2 | teaspoons sherry vinegar |
| 12 | ounces fettucine |
| ½ | cup chopped fresh parsley (for garnish) |
| ½ | cup Parmesan shards, made with a vegetable peeler and wedge of Parmesan (for serving) |
1. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
2. In a bowl, place the dried mushrooms. Pour enough boiling water over the mushrooms to cover them. Soak for 20 minutes. Strain and reserve the soaking liquid. Add enough water to the liquid water to make 3 cups.
3. In a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the mushrooms with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms release most of their liquid and turn a deep, golden brown. Push them to one side of the pan and add the shallots or onion. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the shallots or onion are beginning to soften.
4. Push all the vegetables to the side of the skillet. Move the skillet so that the mushrooms and shallots are off the heat. Turn down the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the empty part of the pan. Add the tomato paste and sugar to the oil. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a deep, rusty red. Stir it into the mushrooms and shallots.
5. Add the dried mushrooms with the 3 cups soaking liquid, Marsala or sherry, and red lentils. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.
6. Stir the vinegar into the ragu. Taste for seasoning, and add more salt and pepper, if you like.
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the fettuccine and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but still has some bite. Use a heatproof measuring cup to scoop out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta into a colander but do not rinse it.
8. Stir the pasta into the mushroom ragu in the skillet. If the sauce seems dry, add 1/4 cup or more of the pasta cooking water (you won't use all of it). Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the parsley.
9. Transfer the pasta and sauce to shallow bowls and sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Scatter the Parmesan over the top.
