Name: Mushroom Ragu
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 1 pound portobello mushroom caps , gills removed, halved, and sliced ½ inch thick; 18 ounces chanterelle mushrooms , trimmed and halved if small or quartered if large; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 onion , chopped fine; ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms , rinsed and minced; Salt and pepper; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried; ½ cup dry red wine; 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained with juice reserved, chopped; 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley; 1 recipe recipe

Why This Recipe Works

The wooded north of Italy is a treasure trove of mushrooms: Beyond the famous white truffle, foragers hunt for countless wild edible varieties that can be found throughout Trentino–Alto Adige. The bounty is often stewed and served over soft polenta. We started with a mix of dried and fresh mushrooms. Dried porcini delivered depth of flavor similar to more obscure fresh Italian varieties, while a combination of chanterelle mushrooms—which are native to northern Italy and the very best wild mushrooms you can find in the U.S.—and portobellos provided deep, nutty flavor and meaty texture, respectively. Developing flavorful fond with 2 pounds of moisture-rich mushrooms took quite a lot of time, so we jump-started the cooking process in the microwave. After 6 minutes the mushrooms were tender and had released a fair amount of their juice (which we added to our deglazing liquid). Red wine, garlic, thyme, and canned diced tomatoes rounded out the flavors of our stew, which made an ideal topping for spooning over a bowl of Polenta concia.

Before You Begin

You can also serve the stew over pasta, although this preparation is not traditional. You can substitute any wild mushrooms for the chanterelles in this recipe.

Instructions

Microwave portobello mushrooms and chanterelle mushrooms in covered bowl, stirring occasionally, until tender and mushrooms have released their liquid, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to colander set in bowl and let drain, reserving liquid.

Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, porcini, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until dry and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in wine and reserved mushroom liquid, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in tomatoes and their juice, bring to simmer, and cook until ragù is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over polenta.