Pasta With Mushroom-Thyme Cream Sauce

(from saymyname’s recipe box)

Source: America's Test Kitchen

Serves 6 people

Categories: Main Dish, Pasta Sauce, Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 lb sliced white mushroom
  • salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (rehydrated with 1 cup liquid reserved)
  • 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 1 lb linguine or 1 lb spaghetti

Directions

  1. **Rehydrate the porcini mushrooms while the mushrooms brown.

  2. Bring large pot of water to boil (4 quarts water).

  3. Meanwhile, melt butter in medium saucepan over med-high heat; add in white mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook until browned, about 8 minutes.

  4. While mushrooms cook, pureed rehydrateed porcini mushrooms, 1 cup reserved porcini liquid, half-and-half, soy sauce, thyme, and cornstarch in a blender until smooth, about 30 seconds.

  5. Stir shallot into saucepan with mushrooms; cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

  6. Stir in garlic; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

  7. Stir in sherry and cook until nearly evaporated, about 1 minute.

  8. Briefly re-blend porcini mixture to dissolve cornstarch; then stir into saucepan and simmer until thickened, about 2 mintues.

  9. Remove sauce from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

  10. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water; cook, stirring often, until al dente.

  11. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain pasta and return to pot.

  12. Stir sauce into pasta and add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen sauce; serve immediately.

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