3 tablespoons crumbled dried porcini mushrooms
11/2 cups boiling water
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1 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram (1 teaspoon dried)
4 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh sage (2 teaspoons dried)
dash of salt
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1/2 pound linguini or spaghetti
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1 tablespoon unbleached white flour
2/3 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
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grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
ground black pepper to taste
In a small heatproof bowl, cover the porcini mushrooms with the boiling water and set aside.
Bring a large covered pot of water to a rapid boil. While the water heats, sauté the onions in the olive oil in a heavy nonreactive skillet or saucepan for 10 minutes or until translucent. Add the fresh mushrooms and the marjoram, sage, and a dash of salt. Continue to sauté, stirring often.
When the water boils, stir in the pasta, cover, and return to a boil. Then uncover the pot, and cook until the pasta is al dente. Meanwhile, drain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Thoroughly rinse the porcini to remove any grit. Strain the reserved liquid through a paper coffee filter or cheesecloth. When the sautéing mushrooms begin to soften, add the porcini. Stir in the flour and then the strained porcini liquid, the wine, and the soy sauce. Simmer on medium-high heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
Serve the drained pasta in warmed bowls, topped with the sauce, Parmesan or Romano cheese, and black pepper.
PER 8-OZ SERVING: 285 CALORIES, 7.8 G PROTEIN, 6.9 G FAT, 43.5 G CARBOHYDRATE, 229 MG SODIUM, 0 MG CHOLESTEROL.
TOTAL TIME
25 minutes
SERVINGS
2 or 3
MENU
Serve with crusty French bread and Caesar Salad (see page 122), Easiest Artichokes (see page 77), or steamed green beans. Pears with Gorgonzola (see page 319) is an ideal dessert.
This is an earthy, rich-tasting pasta for a hearty fall or winter meal.
The mushroom sauce is also good over Polenta (see page 150), mashed potatoes, or Bulghur Burgers (see page 144).