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Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Simple as it is, this dish is packed with rich umami, fresh herbs, and hearty bucatini noodles.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Calories 479 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • Salt
  • 1 pound whole-wheat or whole-grain spaghetti
  • 1 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms – shiitake,crimini, any that catch your eye at market
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil,eyeball it
  • 2 leeks
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic,finely chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano,for topping

Instructions
 

  • Heat water to a boil for the pasta, salt water, drop in pasta and cook to al dente.
  • Wipe mushrooms clean with damp towel. Remove woody stems. Thinly slice the mushrooms.
  • Heat a large deep skillet with extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until deeply golden and tender, 10 minutes.
  • While mushrooms cook, halve the leeks lengthwise. Cut off a couple of inches from tough tops. Trim off root end. Thinly slice the leek then vigorously wash in a large bowl of cold water, separating all the layers to free of grit. Let leeks sit a few minutes then lift out of the water and dry on kitchen towel.
  • Add leeks to mushrooms along with garlic and season with salt, pepper and fresh thyme. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more then add wine, reduce half a minute then stir in cream and heat through. Toss pasta with mushrooms and adjust seasoning. Top with grated cheese at the table.

Notes

Cooking the pasta in a flavorful mushroom broth is the other secret to this mushroom spaghetti.