Description
Hearty pappardelle pasta with portobello mushroom ragu promises a rich culinary journey through Italian countryside flavors. Robust mushroom sauce clings to wide ribbons of pasta, delivering deep, earthy comfort that satisfies savory cravings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 (350 g) portobello mushroom caps (10–12 oz), sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 8 oz (225 g) pappardelle pasta, fresh or dried
- 1 chunk (50 g) Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese
- 2 medium shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 2 oz each)
- 3 tbsps (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsps (30 g) unsalted butter
- 2 tbsps (30 g) tomato paste
- 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
- 2 tsps finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Sauté Foundation: Heat olive oil in a spacious skillet over medium heat, softening shallots with a pinch of salt until translucent and tender.
- Mushroom Transformation: Add portobello mushrooms, cooking until they develop a deep golden-brown color and release their natural moisture, concentrating their rich earthy flavor.
- Pasta Preparation: Cook pappardelle in heavily salted boiling water until perfectly al dente, reserving starchy cooking liquid before draining.
- Flavor Layering: Introduce garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, vinegar, and butter to the mushroom base, creating a complex sauce by blending in reserved pasta water until smooth and silky.
- Final Assembly: Combine cooked pappardelle with the mushroom ragu, ensuring each pasta ribbon is generously coated. Adjust sauce consistency and seasoning to taste, using additional reserved liquid if needed.
- Elegant Finish: Crown the dish with delicate shavings of aged Parmigiano cheese, elevating the visual and flavor profile of the rustic Italian-inspired pasta.
Notes
- Prep Mushroom Precisely: Dice portobello mushrooms uniformly to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the ragu.
- Control Liquid Release: Allow mushrooms to release moisture completely, concentrating flavors and preventing watery sauce consistency.
- Pasta Water Magic: Reserve starchy cooking liquid as a critical sauce-binding agent, helping create smooth, clingy sauce that perfectly coats pasta.
- Temperature Technique: Maintain moderate heat when sautéing shallots and mushrooms to develop deep flavor without burning ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg