START TO FINISH: 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
In this hearty vegetarian dish, an umami-rich mushroom sauce combines with tarragon-tossed tagliatelle pasta. Red miso and mild portobellos ground the flavors in an earthy richness that contrasts well with a finishing spoonful of chive-seasoned ricotta cheese. Tagliatelle is an egg noodle similar in shape to fettuccine, but with a finer texture and richer flavor. We used dried tagliatelle, which is sold bundled in nests. Refer to the package directions for cooking times.
Don’t forget to scrape off the gills from the undersides of the mushroom caps. If left, the gills give the sauce a murky appearance.
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
8 ounces dried tagliatelle
4 tablespoons (½ stick) salted butter, divided
2 pounds portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, quartered and sliced ¼ inch thick
2 medium shallots, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons red miso
½ cup lightly packed fresh tarragon, finely chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
In a small bowl, whisk together the ricotta, chives and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pasta and 2 tablespoons salt and cook until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking water, drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and ½ cup of the reserved cooking water; toss to coat.
Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter until foaming. Add the mushrooms, shallots and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms have released their moisture and are well browned, about 10 minutes. Add the wine, scrape up any browned bits and simmer until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Add the remaining 1½ cups reserved cooking water to the mushrooms, bring to a simmer and cook over medium-high until the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in the miso and remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Add the tarragon to the pasta and toss, then transfer to a serving bowl. Spoon the mushroom mixture over the pasta. Serve dolloped with the ricotta mixture and drizzled with olive oil.