Seasonal Mushroom Boscaiola Polenta Truffles And Bacon Food

PASTA BOSCAIOLA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, stir together the broth and dried porcini. Bring the stock to a simmer over high heat. Then reduce to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously-salted water to a boil for the pasta.
• Meanwhile, cook the pancetta in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes or until the fat has rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a clean plate and set aside. Leave about 1.5 tablespoons of the pancetta grease in the pan and discard the rest. (Or if there's not enough grease, add a bit of olive oil at any point while sautéing the veggies.)
• Add the quartered baby bella mushrooms to the pan and sauté in the pancetta grease, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add the shallots, garlic, rosemary, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, and a few twists of black pepper and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Gradually pour in the white wine and use a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cooked pancetta and stir to combine.
• Meanwhile, transfer the cooked porcini mushrooms to a cutting board and roughly-chop them into bite-sized pieces. Transfer chopped mushrooms to the tomato sauce, along with 1 ½ cups of the porcini broth. (Be sure to filter the broth through a fine-mesh strainer to avoid any silt that may have gathered in the bottom of the pan.)
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes, or however long it takes the pasta to cook.
• Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until 1 minute shy of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, then drain the pasta.
• Stir the cream into the tomato sauce. Then combine the tomato sauce and cooked pasta in the large stockpot and gently toss for 1-2 minutes until the pasta reaches al dente, adding in a few spoonfuls of the starchy pasta water at a time if needed to thin the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Serve. Serve immediately with a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• For the polenta, bring 4 1/2 cups water and the milk to a high simmer in a medium-size heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add salt. Pour the cornmeal slowly into the liquid, stirring with a wire whisk to prevent clumping. Continue stirring as the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Turn heat to low. Cook for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. If the polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep the polenta soft enough to stir.
• Add the butter to pot, and stir well. Add the Parmesan, if using. Taste for seasoning. Set the covered saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water, and keep warm for up to an hour or so.
• Meanwhile, put the dried mushrooms in a small bowl, and cover with about 1/2 cup boiling water. Allow to steep for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, and pat dry, then chop roughly. Reserve the mushroom stock.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan set over high heat until it has melted. Add the garlic and cook until it starts to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic brown.
• Add the fresh and reconstituted mushrooms and thyme to the pan, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, turning until browned. Add about 1/4 cup of the mushroom stock to deglaze the surface, using a wooden spoon to scrape at the browned bits. Allow the stock to reduce by half, then turn the heat to medium-low and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, whisking to combine, followed by the soy sauce, cream and olive oil. Allow mixture to cook until it thickens a little, then remove from heat. Taste for seasoning, adding black pepper, if desired.
• Put the polenta in a warmed bowl, then top with mushrooms and the sauce. Serve immediately.

QUICK AND CREAMY BOSCAIOLA PASTA (BACON AND MUSHROOM)

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until 'al dente'. Drain, return to the pan, and keep warm.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the bacon and mushroom, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Stir in a little of the cream, and scrape the wooden spoon on the bottom of the pan to dislodge any bacon that has stuck.
• Add the remaining cream, bring to the boil, and cook over high heat for 15 minutes, OR until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Stir the spring onion through the mixture.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta, and toss to combine.
• Serve sprinkled with the parsley.

PASTA ALLA BOSCAIOLA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or large sauté pan on the stove, cook the chopped bacon over medium-high heat, stirring often, until browned, about 5-7 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate or bowl and set aside.
• Add the mushrooms to the pan with the bacon fat and return to medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are browned, about 8 minutes
• Add the onion, garlic, and thyme to the pan and sauté for 5-6 minutes
• Add the puréed tomatoes and white wine.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a bare simmer.
• Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add pasta and cook until al dente.
• Drain pasta, reserving about one cup of the pasta-cooking water.
• Add the cream to the pasta sauce along with the peas, drained pasta and cooked bacon.
• Bring to a simmer, adding reserved pasta-cooking water as needed to thin the sauce, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
• I recommend adding no more than 1-2 tablespoons of cooking water at a time.
• After the sauce reaches your desired consistency, remove the pasta and sauce from the heat and stir in the parsley and cheese.
• Serve additional parmesan cheese on the side for grating over the plated pasta.

PENNE BOSCAIOLA (WOODSMAN-STYLE PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS AND BACON) RECIPE

Steps:

• Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or large sauté pan, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate.
• Add fresh mushrooms and chopped porcini to pot with rendered bacon fat and return to medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are browned, about 8 minutes. Add a splash of olive oil at any point if pot becomes too dry.
• Add onion, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring, until onion and garlic are softened and lightly golden, about 6 minutes; again, add olive oil as needed if pot becomes too dry. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just shy of al dente. Drain pasta, reserving about 2 cups of pasta-cooking water.

MUSHROOM POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms, season with salt and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon each butter and fresh thyme and 1 minced shallot; cook 30 seconds. Meanwhile, simmer 3 cups mushroom broth and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Whisk in 3/4 cup quick-cooking polenta; stir until thickened, 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Top with the mushrooms, chopped parsley, more Parmesan and pepper.

FETTUCCINE BOSCAIOLA

Steps:

• Heat oil spray in large frying pan.
• Add bacon, onion and garlic. Cook until onion softens, stirring gently.
• Add mushrooms, cook until golden.
• Stir in cream, bring to the boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer until sauce reduces and thickens slightly.
• Add cornflour water, bring to the boil again then instantly reduce heat, stirring constantly as sauce thickens.
• Stir in parsley and parmesan.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour over boiled hot pasta and mix.
• Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.