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Pasta with Mushroom Sauces
Ingredients:
Mushroom Tomato Sauce
5-6 lbs Fresh tomatoes, chopped (hothouse not recommended)
1-2 lbs Fresh Roma tomatoes, chopped (optional - for flavor)
4-5 medium onions, chopped
1-2 lbs. White/brown field mushrooms, sliced finely (hint: don't wash mushrooms ahead of time, they'll dry out, also, use a cloth when you do wash them)
1 large Portabella mushroom (for flavor)
1 bulb garlic
Tomato paste (as necessary to thicken, added body)
Seasoning
Salt & pepper
Red wine, Worcestershire sauce, or mustard (use only one at a time)
Thyme, marjoram, oregano, basil, dill, 4 bay leaves, tarragon, rosemary... tear leaves off of the stems for all of these (Fresh is always better, but if you have dried get whole and crush just before use)
Olive Oil - dark virgin
1/4 - 1/2 cup Butter
1-2 cups chicken stock, if necessary (soup base only)
Mushroom Cream Sauce
1/4 lbs. Fresh mushrooms (or reserve 1 cup sautéed from tomato sauce)
1/4 cup butter, to sauté mushrooms
Olive oil, to sauté mushrooms
500 ml Cream (crème fraîche or whipping)
3-4 egg yolks
100-200g Romano Cheese (or other strong, hard Italian cheese)
100-200g Parmesan Cheese (or other strong, hard Italian cheese)
Salt & Pepper
Pasta
4 cups flour
4 eggs
Salt Water
Preparation
:Mushrooms
In saucepan melt 1/4 - 1/2cup butter in olive oil (so you don't burn the butter) over low heat (2-3). Add pepper for taste. Clean, dry, and slice mushrooms thinly. Add mushrooms to melted butter and olive oil. Sauté until just beginning to wilt, add salt to taste, sauté mushrooms until tender.
Tomato Sauce
In heavy steel (do not use aluminum as the tomatoes will take on the taste of the pot) pan/pot sauté onions in butter and olive oil until tender (clear, translucent - not caramelized for goodness sake!!!!). If using dried herbs, add them at this time (wet them so they stick to the cutting board and then chop chop). Add garlic, sauté another 5 minutes (don't let the onions brown). Add chopped tomatoes all at once. If using fresh herbs, add at this time. Add sautéed mushrooms (if making the mushroom cream sauce, reserve a cup). Continue to simmer until tomatoes have become tender and are completely broken down. Add some tomato paste to thicken sauce and add body. If it appears that the sauce is too dry add some chicken stock. Continue to simmer over low heat until ready to serve, the longer you simmer the more the flavors work together.
Cream Sauce
In small pot combine sautéed mushrooms and cream over low heat. Mix in egg yolks, one at a time until thoroughly combined. Stir in the grated cheeses. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to light boil over low heat stirring regularly to prevent separation, and to help cheese melt smoothly. Sauce will thicken as it cooks.
Pasta
Place mound of flour on clean surface, make a small well in center put eggs in well, mix into flour a little at a time. If dough becomes to thick add some water a tablespoon at a time, knead dough until uniform. Cover pasta when not being worked to prevent it from drying out. Cut off small chunk, roll pasta, cut into desired shapes. Cook pasta in large amount of boiling salted water until tender (they will float to the top of the water when they are cooked).
d.northam