Mushroom Ragout with Marsala and Pearl Onions

Silky, earthy and so incredibly comforting-this dish  is a definitely a pleasant autumnal meal. I treated myself to a trip to an international grocery store yesterday (Global Foods in Kirkwood, MO) and came back with all sorts of fresh veggies I can’t usually get in my local grocery stores. I really wanted a variety of fresh mushrooms and they had plenty to choose from. I’m adding some dried mushrooms here to get a little more depth to the dish. You can really use any mushrooms you want and can play with the how you serve it. I’m thinking I might take the leftovers, add some more stock and a handful of barley for a very comforting soup.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup very hot tap water

2 Tablespoons canola oil, divided

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, divided (I’m using Earth Balance® margarine)

1 clove of garlic, peeled but left whole

1 sprig of fresh rosemary (optional)

½ pound fresh shitake mushrooms-stemmed and sliced(the stems are too tough to eat-freeze them for stock)

½ pound fresh maitake mushrooms, sliced

½ pound oyster mushrooms, sliced

2 Tablespoons Marsala wine (or sherry)

7 ounces frozen pearl mushrooms (1/2 of a 14 ounce bag), thawed

2 cups unsalted vegetable stock, divided

1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 pound paparadelle pasta, other wide noodles or grains like barley to farro, cooked according to package directions for serving.

Directions:

Put the dried porcinis in a cup and add the hot water. Push the mushrooms down so they can steep. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until needed, at least 15 minutes.

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil and 1 Tablespoon margarine in a large skillet. Add the garlic clove and fresh rosemary (if using) and cook on medium for about three minutes or until the garlic and rosemary are just fragrant.

Place ½ of the fresh mushrooms in the pan and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining oil, margarine and mushrooms. Remove and discard the garlic and rosemary.

Add the Marsala to the pan and stir, getting up any browned bits from the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms back in the pan along with the pearl onions.

Add in 1 ½ cups vegetable stock to the skillet and place the remaining stock in a cup. Add the cornstarch to the cup to make a slurry.

Add the rehydrated porcinis and the liquid from them to the skillet, being careful not to get the grit that may have settled on the bottom. Add in the salt and thyme.

Cover and cook, still on medium, for 15 minutes. Add in the cornstarch slurry and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let cook another 10 minutes.

Serve over pasta.