Mushroom and Taleggio Sauce (Sugo di Funghi e Taleggio)

Make this! It’s delicious. I found this recipe on the Pasta et al blog, and it’s a winner. 

I recommend using a high-quality, wide pasta, and actually, I think it would be better to double the entire recipe, so there’s plenty for a big batch of pasta. And the first step is roasting a head of garlic, so give yourself an extra hour for that to roast and cool before using.

The secret with what’s pictured is that I didn’t use taleggio because the only store in the area that carries it, was out. Not to worry, they had a similar, ridiculously-overpriced soft cheese as a substitute called Bent River from the Alemar Cheese company (at $25 per pound). It was quite good, but that’s a crazy price.

Also, I used some Asian mushrooms for this: enoki and king oyster mushrooms, along with the standard white mushrooms. I skipped the dried porcini, which where literally $100 per pound. Screw that!

Anyway, this recipe is really fast and easy. Perfect for mid-week meals. Just use whatever mushrooms you like the most. Enjoy!

What you’ll need:

• 0.5 oz. dried porcini, rehydrated in hot water
• About 14 oz. mixed fresh mushrooms
• 1 head of garlic, roasted
• 2T olive oil
• 3T milk
• 3 oz. taleggio
• Grated parmesan, for serving
• Ground black pepper, for serving

What to do:

Roast the head of garlic. To do this, rub off the papery layer and discard. Then, cut about 0.33 inches off the top of the head. Set on a piece of foil and flip up the edges. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the head, then completely wrap the garlic with the foil. Roast in a 400-degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Let it cool, when done.

Thinly slice the mushrooms and sauté them in olive oil over low-medium heat for about 5-15 minutes, depending on the mushroom type and thickness of slices. When they’ve shed a lot of their water, remove from the pan and set aside.

If you’re going to eat right away, start the pasta now. Retain about a half-cup of the pasta water, when the pasta’s done. You may need it later.

In the same pan you used for the mushrooms, over low heat, gently melt the taleggio or whatever overpriced soft, creamy cheese into the milk.

Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the cloves and add it to the milk and taleggio, followed by the sautéed mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and stir everything together. Keep warm until you serve it.

When ready to serve, remove from the heat, and toss the freshly cooked pasta into it. If the sauce seems too dry at this point, add a tablespoon at a time of the pasta water.