Roasted Mushroom Toscani
This dish is a total attention spore.
Rightfully so — deeply umami, silky and crunchy, it does have it all. Roasting the mushrooms gets them crispy at the edges, adding even more texture alongside toasted breadcrumbs. Salty Pecorino Romano meets sweet Marsala wine.
But, how do you take umami to the next level, without the price tag of a black truffle? In comes anchovy paste.
Don’t second guess it, it’s the perfect player to match mushrooms — and, BTW, a great secret ingredient to have a tube of on hand. You like caesar dressing, don’t you?
I like Toscani for this one (you might also know it as Campanelle) to grab up all of ‘shrooms and breadcrumbs. Be generous with the crumbs and, as always, don’t skimp on grated cheese, either.
Let’s cook!
You’ll need:
12 oz mixed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster, and/or others)
~12 oz (3/4 lb) Toscani or Campanelle pasta, i.e. 1 package of Seggiano Toscani
1 large shallot (or 2 medium shallots)
4 cloves garlic
1/2 c Marsala wine
3/4 c mushroom or chicken stock
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp anchovy paste (careful, teaspoons)
1/2 c Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (plus plenty for serving)
1 c (about 2 slices) Italian bread, day-old and cubed
Handful of fresh, flat leaf parsley
Quality EVOO
Salt & fresh-cracked pepper
Makes about 4 servings of cooked pasta.
Steps:
Preheat oven to 400° F, and put a large pot of water on to boil. Clean (don’t wash) mushrooms; if not already sliced, trim and slice according to each type, maintaining their identifying shape.
Toss mushrooms liberally in EVOO, salt & cracked pepper. Spread mushrooms out in a single layer on a baking sheet, roasting for 20-25 min, until just starting to crisp.
Meanwhile, make the breadcrumbs. Add cubed bread, 1/4c of grated Romano, 1/4c of EVOO, salt and pepper to a food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds or so, until you have crumbs that aren’t too fine. Tip: If using fresh Italian bread, dry out before cubing by tossing in the oven while it preheats.
In a small skillet, melt 1 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Mix breadcrumbs into the melted butter, sauté until toasted — stirring often to brown evenly, and crushing larger pieces with the back of the spoon. Once toasted, 7-10 min, turn off heat, keep warm.
Salt boiling water well and cook pasta al dente (on the lower range of package instructions), about 7 minutes.
As the pasta boils, make the sauce. Peel and dice shallots; crush, peel and mince garlic. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with EVOO, heat over medium. Add shallots, salt, and sauté for ~2 min or until starting to soften. Add garlic, cook for ~1 min more.
Stir in the mushrooms, 2 tbsp of butter, and the anchovy paste. Once butter is melted and bubbling, pour in the Marsala and stock. Cook until liquid is reduced by about half, then reduce to a simmer. As the sauce simmers, mince parsley and set aside.
Before draining, reserve a cup of the pasta water. Toss cooked pasta, remaining butter, and a few splashes of starchy water into the skillet. Over low heat, mix the pasta actively (adding additional water if needed, for consistency) until well-coated. Serve, topping with handful of crumbs, more Pecorino Romano, and a garnish of parsley.