Gourmet pasta with exotic mushroom medley

Cooked with Marsala red wine and tagliatelle pasta for a gourmet flair, this easy-to-make pasta dish is full of flavour. Try a variety of delicious, exotic and wild mushrooms—and expand your culinary palate!

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus 15 minutes soaking

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

• 6 g (1/4 oz) dried porcini mushrooms
• 125 ml (1/2 c) boiling water
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil, divided
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 250 g (1/2 lb) button mushrooms, sliced
• 125 ml (1/2 c) Marsala wine
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped (optional)
• 500 g (1 lb) mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake, oyster, cremini, chanterelles, sliced or halved
• 2 large tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and sliced
• 10 ml (2 tsp) fresh thyme leaves or 5 ml (1 tsp) dried thyme
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 500 g (1 lb) tagliatelle or other pasta

1. Put the dried porcini mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak for 15 minutes. Then drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Slice rehydrated mushrooms, discarding any tough stalks.
2. Heat half the olive oil in a skillet and sauté shallots until they're tender and golden (about 3 minutes). Add button mushrooms and cook until all the juice from mushrooms has evaporated (about 8 to 10 minutes).
3. Add Marsala and soaking liquid from dried mushrooms. Simmer until sauce has reduced by half (about 10 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelle in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, or according to the package instructions (until al dente).
5. About 5 minutes before pasta is done, heat remaining oil in a large skillet. Add garlic, if using, and mixed mushrooms. Cook over medium heat, shaking pan often, until mushrooms are lightly cooked (about 3 to 5 minutes).
6. Stir tomatoes, thyme and parsley into mushroom sauce and heat through for 1 to 2 minutes. Add mixed mushrooms, season to taste, and remove from heat.
7. Drain tagliatelle and divide it among 4 serving dishes. Spoon mushroom sauce on top and serve immediately.

• For a creamy sauce, stir in 60 ml (4 tbsp) low-fat sour cream or plain, non-fat yogurt.

• Mushrooms are a useful source of the B vitamins niacin, B6 and folate, and they provide a good source of copper—one of the all-important minerals that form part of a healthy diet.
• Most recipes use mushrooms in small quantities, so that the nutritional contribution they make to the diet is limited. However, this dish contains a substantial amount of fresh mushrooms, plus dried ones for additional flavour.

Key nutrients

• 580 calories (50 calories from fat)
• 6 g fat
• 1 g saturated fat
• 0 g trans fat
• 21 g protein
• 104 g carbohydrates
• 5 g fibre
• 30 mg sodium

Vitamins and minerals

• 30 mg vitamin C
• 85 mg magnesium
• 1143 mg potassium
• 55 mg calcium

Impress your guests or treat yourself to a luxurious meal with this rich, earthy mushroom pasta dish!