Pasta with Mushroom Sauce

Pasta with Mushroom Sauce

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed

12 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and pepper

2 shallots, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh sage

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and chopped fine

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 cups water plus 1/4 cup hot water

12 ounces (3 3/4 cups) campanelle, penne, or fusilli

2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (1 cup), plus extra for serving

1tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Coarsely chop half of shiitake mushrooms and white mushrooms; then quarter

remaining shiitake mushrooms and white mushrooms. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in

Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add all shiitake mushrooms and white mushrooms

(both chopped and quartered) and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook until mushrooms

release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring

occasionally, until all liquid has evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes.

2. Add shallots, sage, garlic, and porcini mushrooms and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in 4 cups water, pasta, and

1 1/4 teaspoons salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring

occasionally, until pasta is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.

3. Off heat, stir in Pecorino, 1/4 cup hot water, lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons butter,

and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir vigorously for 1 minute, until sauce is thickened. Season with

salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with chives.

Serve, passing extra Pecorino separately.

Italian Zeppoles

A Zeppole is an Italian pastry consisting of a deep-fried dough balls - typically about 4 inches in diameter .. dusted (or shaken in a paper bag) with powder sugar!

Makes 15 to 18 zeppoles

This dough is very wet and sticky.
Zeppoles are best served warm.

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups (6 2/3 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (good quality for best results)
• 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
• Confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1. Combine flour, granulated sugar, yeast, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Whisk water and vanilla into flour mixture until fully combined. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 15 to 25 minutes. If you own a 4-cup liquid measuring pitcher/bowl, you can combine the batter in it to make it easier to tell when it has doubled in volume.

2. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line rack with triple layer of paper towels. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1 1/2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees.

3. Using greased tablespoon measure, add 6 heaping tablespoonfuls of batter to oil. (Use dinner spoon to help scrape batter from tablespoon if necessary.) Fry until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center of zeppole comes out clean, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping once halfway through frying. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees.

4. Using slotted spoon, transfer zeppoles to prepared wire rack; roll briefly so paper towels absorb grease. Transfer sheet to oven to keep warm. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat twice more with remaining batter. Dust zeppoles with confectioners’ sugar and serve.