Spinach Linguine with Wild Mushroom Sauce

An overhead view of an individual white pasta bowl filled with spinach pasta with wild mushroom sauce.

Spinach Linguine with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Spinach Preparation: 1

Total Time: 2

Servings:

Calories: 375kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

This dish is a fun project with stunning results. If you make the pasta from scratch, and even the chicken stock, it is a true show-stopper. But, even if you don't, the sauce is so incredibly flavorful, and you'll still have a dish that guests will be talking about for some time.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

8 oz fresh spinach linguine click link for full recipe
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups warm water
1 lb wild mushrooms fresh, such as cremini, shiitake, portobello, oyster, trumpet
2½ cups chicken broth or vegetable
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme fresh
½ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
¼ cup basil fresh, chopped
2 tablespoon Italian parsley fresh, chopped
1 tablespoon oregano fresh, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup whole tomatoes drained, San Marzanos are great
2 tablespoon unsalted butter cubed
½ cup Parmesan cheese grated, divided
2 tablespoon white truffle oil optional, see NOTES

Instructions

Do Ahead (But Not Too Far Ahead)

Prepare the fresh linguine. Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet sprinkled liberally with semolina flour (or cornmeal) and covered with a kitchen towel.
8 oz fresh spinach linguine

Prepare the Sauce

In a medium-sized bowl, add the dried porcini mushrooms and cover with the warm water. Let soak for 20 minutes.
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms, 2 cups warm water
Wipe the fresh mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Remove the stems and set them aside (hold on to the stems). Slice the mushrooms to about ¼-inch thickness and set aside.
1 lb wild mushrooms
Use a sieve to drain the soaked porcinis into another medium-sized bowl. If the mushrooms have a little grit on them, use a clean paper towel to wipe them clean. Give them a rough chop and set aside. Hold onto the soaking liquid.
Add the chicken broth, reserved mushroom stems, bay leaf, and thyme to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add half of the soaked porcinis to the pan. Simmer for 15 minutes and then raise the heat to high and boil for another 5 minutes.
2½ cups chicken broth, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme
Strain the broth through a sieve into a heat-proof bowl. Discard the solids and hold onto the broth.
In a large saucepan/skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the garlic, and sauté, stirring often, until lightly golden and aromatic, about 1 to 2 minutes.
½ cup olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
Add the basil, parsley, oregano, remaining porcinis, and sliced fresh mushrooms. Sauté, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender when pierced with a knife, about 8 minutes. Add a healthy pinch of salt and pepper and stir to coat.
¼ cup basil, 2 tablespoon Italian parsley, 1 tablespoon oregano, Salt and pepper
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the reserved chicken mushroom broth and ½ cup of the porcini soaking liquid to the mushroom mixture. Use your hands to break up the tomatoes into the pan. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens a little.
1 cup whole tomatoes
Cook the pasta (if fresh, usually only about 3 minutes). Drain the pasta and then add to a large pasta bowl. Toss the hot pasta with the butter and ¼ cup of the grated Parmesan cheese.
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Transfer half of the sauce over the pasta. Drizzle on the truffle oil (if using), and toss it all together. Add more sauce on top (reserving about 2 cups for passing tableside). Top with more grated cheese and pass the rest at the table. Serve at once.
2 tablespoon white truffle oil

Video

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Fresh pasta works wonderfully with this sauce. Homemade is amazing, but you can usually find packaged fresh pasta in the refrigerated section of many well-stocked supermarkets. Buitoni carries excellent varieties of fresh pasta.

See the notes in the Spinach Pasta recipe post regarding storing and drying homemade pasta.

The white truffle oil is amazing in this dish, but a little goes a long way. Don't be heavy-handed with it. Try 1 tbsp, toss it all together, take a taste, and then see if you want another tbsp. We like 2 tablespoon for the entire dish and we toss it with the pasta and half of the sauce, and then add the remaining sauce on top.

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. We don't recommend freezing this dish.

Nutrition