Description
A hearty and flavorful Porcini Mushroom, Tomato & Rosemary Pasta combining earthy dried porcini mushrooms, aromatic rosemary, and a rich slow-simmered tomato sauce, served over al dente rigatoni and finished with grated parmesan.
Ingredients
Scale
Mushroom Soaking
- 20g dried porcini mushrooms
- 200ml boiling water
Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 large sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
Pasta and Garnish
- 400g rigatoni
- 30g parmesan, finely grated
Instructions
- Soak Mushrooms: Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a jug and pour over 200ml of boiling water. Let them soak for 20 minutes to rehydrate. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid, then roughly chop the mushrooms and set aside.
- Sauté Onions and Aromatics: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes until softened and just beginning to brown. Add the chopped rosemary leaves and chilli flakes, cooking for an additional 30 seconds to release their flavors.
- Add Mushrooms and Reduce Liquid: Stir in the chopped porcini mushrooms and most of their soaking liquid, leaving behind 1 to 2 tablespoons to avoid any grit. Bring the mixture to a simmer and reduce the liquid until mostly absorbed.
- Simmer Tomato Sauce: Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to very low and cook the sauce for 1 hour, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and to develop deep, rich flavors.
- Cook Pasta: While the sauce simmers, cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving about a mugful of the pasta cooking water.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained pasta to the tomato and mushroom sauce along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Mix well, loosening the sauce with more pasta water as needed to achieve a silky consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve: Spoon the pasta onto plates and sprinkle generously with finely grated parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to reserve the mushroom soaking liquid but leave behind some to avoid grit.
- Slow simmering the tomato sauce for an hour deepens the flavor and enhances the sauce’s richness.
- Adjust the amount of chilli flakes according to your spice preference.
- If the sauce becomes too thick when combining with pasta, add more reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Use good quality parmesan for best flavor impact.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Porcini mushroom pasta, tomato pasta, rosemary pasta, vegetarian pasta recipe, Italian pasta sauce
