Penne With a Mushroom Ragu

This one goes out to Kathleen, who is having mushrooms this weekend (just in case you don't already have a recipe picked out). From the Washington Post,

Summary:

Here, a few easily found ingredients make a dish loaded with flavor: Assorted mushrooms (you can buy them pre-sliced to save time) are sauteed with just enough fat to help them cook, then infused with wine to make a vegetarian ragu. Chopped parsley is needed to add that little bite right at the end. Toss the sauce with pasta, and serve with a salad.

4 servings

Ingredients:

* • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* • 1 tablespoon olive oil
* • 1 small (2 ounces) onion, cut into thin slices
* • 1 pound assorted mushrooms, rinsed, stemmed if desired and cut into thin slices (I used baby portabellas and crimini)
* • 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
* • 8 ounces dried penne or gemelli pasta
* • 3/4 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
* • Leaves from 2 to 4 stems curly or flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
* • Freshly ground black pepper
* • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has softened. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; mix to incorporate, then cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms' moisture has been released and evaporated and the mushrooms are just beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.

Reduce the heat under the mushrooms to medium, then add the wine and mix well. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the liquid in the skillet has reduced by half. Remove from the heat.

Add the parsley and freshly ground pepper to taste. Taste, and add salt as needed.

Add the drained pasta to the ragu; toss to combine. Serve hot; pass the Parmesan cheese at the table, if desired.

Results:
I think an easy place to go wrong is not to cook the mushroom all the way. I like my mushroom with some good browning. It'll take some experimentation with temperature to get them browned without burnt. Otherwise, I really liked this dish. Don't skimp on the salt or pepper! I'm sure the ragu would live just as happily over rice or meat.