With the noodles coated in a simple garlic sauce and topped with a robust garlic-rich tomato sauce, this shiitake mushroom ragu was a big hit in our house
Mark Guydish | for Times Leader
The ingredients for a shiitake mushroom ragu. I didn’t include pasta in the pic because I made my own from scratch.
Mark Guydish | for Times Leader
For garlic lovers like MT and myself, this recipe nigh reaches nirvana. Essentially two “king of herbs” sauces in one serving, we loved it and lapped it up. I plan on making this a regular choice at menu-selection time. And as proof that trying lots of new dishes pays off, this sprang from having an ingredient in the pantry but not really wanting to make a recipe already in my repertoire.
We had bought some shiitake mushrooms from a vendor at the Wilkes-Barre Farmers Market, and while regular readers may remember I have an oft-used spicy shiitake stir fry (favored on Christmas Eve), I craved another choice. As noted, the one-two punch of garlic made this an easy pick from a web search.
As is obvious in the photo of ingredients, I didn’t use button mushrooms. The amount of shiitake we bought seemed quite sufficient, and a few shrooms of another type were tossed in gratis.
I didn’t use store-bought pappardelle pasta, didn’t even look for it. I rolled some whole-wheat pasta from scratch into thin sheets and sliced it into wide noodles — but if you like the ingredients, I expect any pasta will do.
And as always, I added a little extra garlic, at least two cloves total.
Dobru chut!
Shiitake Mushroom Ragu with Garlic Butter Pappardelle (wholeandheavenlyoven.com, Sarah On)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 small carrot, shredded
1 pound shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, dried and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 pound button mushrooms, rinsed, dried and cut into 2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup vegetable broth (or water)
1 can (15 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic Butter Pappardelle
4 tablespoons salted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
12 ounces pappardelle pasta, cooked according to package instructions and kept warm
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil until shimmery. Add onion, carrot, mushrooms, and salt and saute 3-4 minutes until mushrooms have released their water and water has evaporated. Add garlic and saute 1 minute until fragrant. Reduce heat to medium and add wine to pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Cook until wine begins to evaporate, about 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, rosemary, and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Bring ragu to a simmer then reduce to medium-low, cover, and let cook 25 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes until very lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from heat and stir in parsley and cooked pappardelle, tossing until evenly coated. Season pasta with salt and pepper to taste.
Portion pappardelle into serving bowls, add mushroom ragu, and top with Parmesan cheese if desired.
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