Porcini Mushroom Sauce

My Nonna’s cugina Tilde taught her this mushroom sauce recipe when she was visiting from Genoa, and let me tell you, it’s a banger. This is peak comfort food right here.

BAH GAWD

The savory flavor of the porcini mushrooms combined with the garlic and tomatoes' sweetness makes for a heavenly combo loaded with umami. I hear nothing but glowing reviews from my friends whenever I make this. It’s definitely up there as one of my all-time favorite recipes.

I like to serve this porcini sauce over pappardelle, farfalle, or polenta, but realistically you can make it with whatever base you like because it’s really that damn good. As far as drinks are concerned, this sauce pairs well with a glass or two of a medium-bodied red wine, like a Sangiovese (Chianti), Primitivo (Zinfandel), or a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.

Rinsing the mushrooms

Soaking the mushrooms

My Nonna showing me how it’s done

“The first water you strain and keep because this is where all the flavor is,” says my Nonna, further stressing that the most important step in this recipe is soaking the mushrooms, collecting their juice, and properly straining off the sand. If you half-ass this part, you’re going to be chewing on grain, and the sauce will be ruined, so make sure you get rid of the sand before you pour the mushroom juice into the pan.

Adding in those tasty mushroom morsels

Throwing in the tomatoes

Sippin' on mushroom juice, laid back

Tilde, I’ve never met you, but you sure do know your way around the mushroom sauce. This recipe slaps. Grazie Mille!

Tada!

Anyone know how to read Italian?

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of dried porcini or mixed mushrooms

• 1 1/2-2 cups of strained mushroom juice

• 3 garlic cloves, 2 chopped and 1 whole

• Half of a small onion, chopped

• A handful of parsley, chopped

• 2-3 tomatoes from the can

• 4 tablespoons of olive oil

• 2-3 bay leaves

• 1 chicken bouillon cube

Instructions:

1. Soak and rinse mushrooms in cold water for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the mushrooms from the water so the sand stays at the bottom of the bowl.

2. Collect the mushroom water by straining its juice with a cheesecloth or paper towel.

3. Rinse the mushrooms again under the sink, this time discarding the water entirely.

4. Grab a few mushrooms, chop the two garlic cloves, the half onion, and the handful of parsley with a mezzaluna or knife until it’s soffritto-esque in appearance.

5. Sautée chopped ingredients in a pan using 4 tablespoons of oil.

6. Add in bay leaves, 2-3 tomatoes from the can, the whole garlic clove, and the chicken bouillon cube. Sautée for around 5 minutes on medium heat.

7. Add in the rest of the mushrooms, periodically pouring in the mushroom juice as needed

8. Cook on medium heat for 20-25 minutes.

9. Cook and strain your pasta.

10. Combine with mushroom sauce and serve plain or with Pecorino Romano.