Description
This Best-Ever Wild Mushroom Ragu is seriously bold, rich, and flavorful Italian-style comfort food. And it’s totally meatless! Fragrant aromatics like garlic and fresh thyme simmer in a porcini mushroom-infused stock to create a rich and earthy mushroom flavor. Add some crispy pan-roasted wild mushrooms, freshly grated parmesan, and a drizzle of truffle oil for an extra-luxe finishing touch. Toss the hearty mushroom sauce into pappardelle or spaghetti noodles for a comforting mushroom ragu pasta. Or spoon the homemade mushroom sauce over gnocchi or creamy polenta for an extra-cozy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms (baby bella), trimmed and sliced
- 16 ounces maitake mushrooms (or wild mushroom of choice), trimmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- one 1-ounce package dried porcini mushrooms (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 cups vegetable stock or broth
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (about 8–10 sprigs)
- 1 cup dry vermouth (see Recipe Notes)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 12 ounces pasta of choice
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
- for serving, as desired: black truffle oil, grated parmesan, finely chopped fresh herbs, etc.
Instructions
- Brown the fresh mushrooms: Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add half of the mushrooms. Stir to coat the mushrooms in the oil then cook, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned and golden, about 8-10 minutes. Once browned, season with a good pinch of kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Transfer the browned mushrooms to a plate and set aside. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
- Reconstitute the porcini mushrooms: Meanwhile, as the fresh mushrooms brown, reconstitute the dried porcini mushrooms. Add the vegetable broth and dried porcini mushrooms to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer 10 minutes to reconstitute the mushrooms. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to remove the mushrooms from the pot, allowing all excess liquid to drain back into the pot. Remove the porcini-infused stock from the heat and set aside for later use. Transfer reconstituted porcini mushrooms to a cutting board and finely chop. Set aside.
- Cook the aromatics: Once the fresh mushrooms are browned, cook the aromatics. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the same pot used to brown the mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium. Once hot and shimmering, add the onions. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper, as desired. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5-6 minutes. Add the chopped porcini mushrooms from Step 2 and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture is cooked out, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the garlic and fresh thyme. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes longer.
- Boil the pasta: While the aromatics soften, it’s a great time to get your pasta going. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked to al dente according to package directions. Carefully dip a liquid measuring cup into the pot, reserving about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and set aside. Carefully drain the pasta – do NOT rinse it!
- Deglaze: Increasing the heat to medium-high, pour the dry vermouth into the pot. Stir constantly, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed at the bottom of the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the vermouth is almost completely absorbed into the aromatics.
- Build and simmer the mushroom ragu: Add the porcini-infused stock from Step 3 to the pot, along with the grated parmesan. Stir to combine. Bring the ragu to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer 5-7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Stir in the heavy cream and the browned mushrooms from Step 1. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Finish the wild mushroom ragu pasta: Add the cooked pasta to the pot with the wild mushroom ragu sauce, tossing to coat. The wild mushroom ragu should evenly coat the pasta. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the ragu needs to loosen up a little; add in an extra handful of parmesan if it needs to tighten up a little. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to meld with and absorb some of the wild mushroom ragu.
- Serve: Portion the wild mushroom ragu pasta into individual pasta bowls, topping with additional grated parmesan and chopped fresh herbs as desired. For an extra-luxe finishing touch, I like to finish each bowl with the lightest drizzle of black truffle oil. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ingredient Notes:
- Best mushrooms for mushroom ragu: I like to make wild mushroom ragu using 2 types of fresh mushrooms – I like to splurge for really beautiful wild mushrooms – maitake (pictured), oyster, chanterelle, and shiitake are all great – but then balance them out with more cost-effective mushrooms like simple white button mushrooms or cremini (baby bella) mushrooms (pictured). Use what you love most or what’s most readily available to you.
- Porcini mushrooms are an Italian mushroom with an especially rich and deep umami flavor. Dried porcini mushrooms are cost-effective and typically more readily available throughout the year here in the States. Look for them in the bulk section or sold in 1-ounce packages at grocery stores or natural food stores that stock dried mushrooms. You can also easily purchase dried porcini mushrooms online.
- Dry vermouth: Originating in France, dry vermouth is a fortified wine infused with herbs and botanicals. Since dry vermouth is more boldly flavored than the average cooking wine, it adds an extra punch of aromatic goodness to whatever you’re cooking. If you don’t keep dry vermouth on hand, feel free to swap it out in this wild mushroom recipe with an equal amount of dry white wine, dry sherry, or dry marsala.
- Vegetarian and/or vegan mushroom ragu: This wild mushroom ragu recipe is naturally meatless. For a vegetarian version, omit the parmesan or use your favorite rennet-free parmesan. To take it a step further and make it vegan, opt for your favorite non-dairy parmesan and omit the heavy cream or use your favorite non-dairy substitute.
- Make-Ahead, Storage and Reheating Instructions:
- Make-Ahead: Mushroom ragu sauce stores incredibly well – it’s the type of thing that gets even better as it sits and its flavors have the chance to meld together. To store, prep the sauce through Step 6 of Recipe Directions, above. Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Whip up a batch of mushroom ragu pasta during the week by reheating the wild mushroom ragu sauce in a skillet, and completing the recipe according to Steps 4 + 7-8, above.
- Storage and Reheating: Leftover mushroom ragu pasta will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding an extra splash of water or cooking stock to loosen up the ragu sauce as needed, until warmed through.
- 15-Minute Meal Prep: Nearly all of the active prep work for this mushroom ragu recipe comes from prepping the veggies. Slice and dice in advance to get a head start on your mushroom ragu – it takes 15 minutes, tops:
- Dice 1 medium yellow onion and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (<5 minutes active prep)
- Clean, trim and prep the mushrooms as indicated in the Ingredients List, above. Place them in a paper towel-lined bowl and store in the main compartment of your refrigerator for up to 5 days. (10 minutes active prep)