Pasta With Creamy Mushroom Ragù
This weeknight-friendly recipe for vegetarian mushroom ragù turns out a rich, tomato-y sauce that tastes like it simmered for hours.
Cook time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 0 kosher salt a big pinch
- 6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 0.25 cup double-concentrated tomato paste
- 12 oz mixed mushrooms such as crimini, shiitake, oyster, and/or maitake, coarsely chopped
- 0 kosher salt as needed
- 0.25 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup water
- 0 freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 0 kosher salt as needed
- 12 oz rigatoni or other short pasta
- 0 kosher salt for boiling water
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 oz Parmesan cheese finely grated, plus more for serving
- 2 cups pasta cooking liquid as needed
- 0 Parmesan cheese more for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a small pot or large saucepan over medium. Add onion and a big pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is very soft, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened and beginning to turn golden around edges, about 4 minutes.
- Add tomato paste to pot and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened in color, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and season with more salt. Cook, stirring often, until softened, 6–8 minutes.
- Add cream and 1 cup water, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until ragù is slightly thickened, 13–17 minutes. Taste and season with pepper and more salt as needed.
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
- Add pasta, butter, 1 cup pasta cooking liquid, and 1 oz. Parmesan to ragù. Cook, tossing and adding more pasta cooking liquid by ¼-cupful as needed, until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes.
- Divide pasta among shallow bowls or plates and top with more Parmesan.