It's a winter wonderland here in Washington, DC today. For me, waking up to falling snow on a Saturday and hearing that there's more to come is just about as good as it gets. Well, as long as I have nowhere to go and plenty of food and drink on hand, that is. I was supposed to go to a party at my sister's house this evening, but that's been rescheduled for tomorrow, so now it is time to tell you about a sensational, snowed-in-and-want-something-delicious-dish, courtesy of Lidia Bastianich. It hails from Istria.
Before I share her recipe, let me warn you: This sauce is luscious. There's no meat involved, but the combination of mushrooms and tomato paste is downright meaty. Lidia calls for making your own pasta--called makaruni--with this dish, which we did. But I'm skipping that part since I'm pretty sure the store-bought kind will work just fine. I've also put this over polenta. That was excellent, too.
Lidia's Chanterelle Mushroom Sauce
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 tbsp shredded fresh sage leaves, packed to measure (4-6 leaves)
2 tsp coarse sea salt or kosher salt
2 lbs fresh chanterelles and/or mixed fresh mushrooms, such as porcini, shiitake, cremini, and common white, cleaned and sliced
4 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups hot light stock (chicken, turkey, or vegetable) or more as needed
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pour the olive oil into a large saute pan and set over medium high heat. Toss in the garlic and cook until sizzling, then scatter in the sliced onion and shredded sage leaves. Stir well, season with 1/2 tsp salt and cook until the onion is soft and sizzling. Add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle on one teaspoon of salt, and tumble the mushrooms around with a big spoon and mix well with the onion and oil. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and bubbling in their own juices. Uncover, raise the heat, and cook, stirring to evaporate almost all the liquid. Clear a spot on the pan bottom, drop in the tomato paste, and stir it in the spot for a minute or so, until toasted and fragrant. Then stir all around the pan to blend with the mushrooms and onions until they caramelize. Pour in one cup of hot broth, salt again, and stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook at a bubbling simmer, stirring now and then until the liquid has cooked down and the sauce is very thick. Stir in another half-cup of broth and stir again until quite concentrated. Stir in remaining half-cup broth and cook to a nice, saucy consistency--dense but flowing. If the mushrooms aren't tender, stir in more broth and cook until tender. Adjust the seasoning to taste, and stir in chopped parsley. Prepare your pasta, and toss with sauce until pasta is fully dressed. Turn off the heat and toss in grated cheese. Serve immediately.
Grazie, Lidia!
