Mushroom Ragu

Okay so I LOVE pasta. I am always searching for the next new pasta recipe to get obsessed with. Every week I am browsing foodnetwork.com, recipe books and food blogs, to come up with dinner ideas. Anytime I come across a pasta recipe that even remotely looks good I'm all over it. This recipe popped up on foodnetwork.com's homepage one day and I was instantly interested.
I know that there will be plenty of people that will overlook this recipe because its all about the mushrooms. But come on mushrooms are such an amazing ingredient! They are earthy, meaty, chewy and take on all kinds of flavors that are added to the mix. They are a versatile ingredient that I am always excited to find new and different ways to use them.
When I read through this recipe I knew that I wouldn't be able to find some of the mushrooms that it was calling for. Usually that would cause me to pass up the recipe all together. But it popped into my head that I could use a dried mushrooms and then use the liquid that I reconstituted them in as a replacement for the chicken broth. That would add even more mushroom-y flavor. So I decided to give it a try.

Mushroom Ragu
by Giada De Laurentiis

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound mixed mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake) chopped 1 package of dried Monterey mushroom mix, chopped & 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Marsala white wine
2 cups chicken mushroom broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Parmesan

Reconstitute the dried mushrooms according to package instructions. Reserve liquid and chop mushrooms.

In a large skillet heat the oil. When almost smoking, add the onions and garlic over medium-low heat until the onions have wilted, about 8 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Raise heat to high and saute until mushrooms are tender and all the liquid has evaporated. 

Remove pan from heat and pour in Marsala white wine. Return pan to stove and allow wine to evaporate, about 3 minutes. 

Add chicken mushroom broth and simmer for 1/2 hour until the sauce has reduced by half. 

Add heavy cream and mix well. 

Take the pan off the heat and add the fresh herbs and Parmesan and mix thoroughly. 

I can't explain in a just a few words how delicious this pasta is. Other then saying that my original picture was so lame because it was a small second helping that I swiped out of the pan before it was all gone. Well I did save some for lunch the next day, because it reheats so well. I have already made this recipe twice since I found it. I'm sure Paul is already over eating it. But its so easy and so tasty that I can't help putting it on the menu.

So don't tell me how you don't like mushrooms, blah blah blah, if you don't bother to try this recipe. Just do it! You'll be glad you did and if you aren't just ship it to me. Ha!