The Food: Porcini Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1/4 Cup Dry Porcini Mushrooms
1/2 Small Onion
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Pint (or 1/4 cup) Grape Tomatoes or Cherry Tomatoes
1/4 Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley
3 Cloves Garlic, sliced
Salt & Pepper To Taste

This may not be one of your traditional sauces, but it is a delicious gourmet compliment to any pasta or ravioli.  It is also very simple and hard to screw up. Give it a try, you will be glad you did!

Before you do anything else, take your dried porcini mushrooms (which is how they usually come in the supermarket) and soak in a 1/4 cup of room temperature water (I use spring water) or even chicken broth.  Set that aside to soak and become soft.  

Boil the water for your pasta, or ravioli.  Spaghettini, cappelini, linguine fini or a plain ricotta cheese ravioli work best with this dish, but serve it with whichever pasta you love best.

Next, in a pan heat your olive oil.  Add your chopped onions and sweat until they turn translucent, about 5 minutes.  At that time, add your sliced garlic.  Continue to cook for about 5 minutes.  While that is cooking, strain out the water from your mushrooms but be sure to keep this liquid as it is full of the flavor of those mushrooms.  Once the liquid is drained, pour it into your pan. Finely chop the mushrooms and add those to the pan as well as the finely chopped parsley.

At this time, add your pasta or ravioli to the boiling salted water and cook according to directions, most likely the cook time will be about 10 minutes.  

Cut your grape tomatoes in half (quarters if they are larger) and continue to cook your mushrooms and onions for about 10-15 minutes and/or until the liquid is mostly out of the mixture.  Drain your pasta, if the mixture is too dry, drain lightly, drain more if its still a bit wet.  Add a squeeze of lemon, mix together and serve.  No cheese on this sauce or pasta, unless you absolutely want it. 

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