toasted mushroom pasta
March 3rd, 2010
Wow! I think I’ve officially found my new favorite pasta for 2010!
Happened to be, well, “gawking” around on FoodGawker this weekend when I came across this recipe for “toasted macaroni”. Indeed. Did not know those two words went together! So I decided to investigate…
Let’s just say, Quizno’s was right. “Toasted tastes better”. Much better. :)
The pasta turned out fantastic!! The extra flavor that came from the toasty-ness, enhanced by being cooked in the chicken broth, totally made my day! Definitely a delicious (and gorgeous) kick up from normal pasta. And the creamy mushroom and white wine sauce was heavenly — full of fresh, delicate flavor that served as a perfect compliment to the pasta.
Pretty sure this one disappeared in our house pronto. But will definitely be making a second appearance…pronto. :)
Toasted Mushroom Macaroni
(Adapted from No Tea After 12)
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 8 oz. fresh mushrooms (approx 2 cups), cleaned and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 8 oz macaroni, or other pasta
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste
Method:
Heat a large heavy skillet over very high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan. Sautee the mushrooms until browned, but not cooked all the way through, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the parsley, garlic, oregano and cook for another minute or so. Pour in the wine and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and remaining sauce to a bowl, and set aside.
In another large skillet or saucepan, add the remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil and the butter. Add the macaroni and stir it constantly until it is a deep golden brown (this should take about 5 minutes). Be sure to watch carefully, as the pasta can go from toasted to burnt very quickly!!
Once toasted, pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until the pasta is al dente, or almost tender. (This should take approximately 10 minutes.)
Stir in the mushroom mixture and cream and cook for a few more minutes to let everything come together in a beautiful creamy, but not claggy sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan and pepper. Taste for seasoning, add salt if needed, but the parmesan is usually just salty enough. Sprinkle with a bit of fresh parsley, and more parmesan if you’d like!
Ali’s Tip:
Any mushrooms would work with this! Or to give an extra kick of flavor, feel free to add in some shallots or onions. Yum! :)
ohhh loordy i think i just died and went to heaven.
i am going to make this asap! thanks for sharing such a delicious looking recipe with such delicious looking photos!
ok i cant stop looking at this and thinking about it.. do you think pancetta would overwhelm the subtle flavors in this dish?
This definitely just got bumped to the top of this week’s dinner priority list!
Ok, so this is a really dumb question, but I’m assuming that pasta is cooked first, right?
Just want to let you know that I have disliked cooking with such a passion until I found this site somewhere. Your instructions are clear, your pictures help guide me, and the food tastes yummy. Thanks :) My husband and our roommate thank you as well.
Hi Jen!
Thanks so much for your kind words! :) Glad you enjoy the site!
And actually, it seems strange, but you actually “toast” the pasta while it is dry (uncooked). And then after it has browned up a bit, add in the chicken stock and then it will cook up and soften. I’d never tried the method before, but it was amazing! :) Good luck!!
~A
Oh my goodness, I love pancetta in anything. :) I bet it would be wonderful with this!
This is so interesting!!! sometimes I will take leftover pasta and fry it up to get a bit of a crust going, but I have never done that first! Intriguing and delicious looking.
Hey, glad to see you enjoyed this! :) It is a staple in our house…hmmm…just wondering if I have everything to make it now…
Wow… toasted macaroni? what a fantastic idea. Sounds delicious!
I’ve never thought to toast my macaroni before…but what a great idea! It looks so good.
mmmmm, we just made this for dinner and added Quorn meatballs before sauteing the mushrooms, yum! I wish I’d been able to convice the dude to let me use real veggie broth instead of MSG-laden powdered parve (vegetarian) chicken broth
Tried this last night for a dinner party and got rave reviews. I used whole grain penne. Had to keep an eye on it while browning, as it was harder to see.
Oh My Yumminess!!!! Will have to try this one! Thanks Ali!
Oh, and “Look Ma! No onions!”….WOOHOO!! :)
Dumb question: do you drain the chicken stock once the macaroni is cooked and then add the mushroom sauce? I’m thinking yes?
Thanks!
Never mind – I figured out while making it that you do not drain the noodles. It was good!
This looks delicious! I have never toasted pasta before, either. I will have to try it soon!
it took a full week, but I finally made this: http://taratakescake.blogspot.com/2010/03/toasted-rigatoni-with-mushrooms-and.html
it was so wonderfully delicious. i was ecstatic. next time i’ll throw in some pancetta or roast chicken if im not cooking for vegetarians.
this was the 2nd recipe of yours i have blogged about lately and both have been absolute home runs, thanks so much and keep the wonderful ideas coming!
Great recipes and blog, Ali! Made a vegan variation of the toasted pasta tonight with spinach, tomatoes, portabellas and parsley. Yummy. Thanks for a wicked tip!
Hi Jill,
Oh YUM. Spinach + Portabella sounds AMAZING. Will have to give that a try sometime!!
~A
I love your post!!! :) YUM!
Pancetta would be amazing too. Next time!!
~A
I made this last night for my boyfriend hoping to have leftovers for lunch this week. I barely have one bowl left! It’s definitely a recipe we are keeping on file!! Thanks for sharing.
Gonna try it for supper tonight…..hope it tastes as good as it looks!
Yummmm……. “Husband” liked it. “Three-Year-Old” liked it! Oh, yeah, and “Mom” liked it, too! :D
You can cook any pasta in the sauce you will be serving it with for much more flavor. No water, just throw it in the sauce and cook until al dente.