Ziti with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese — Credit: © Hannah Queen

Total Time:

1 hr

Servings:

Yield:

Caramelized onions and browned portobello mushrooms bring deep, savory flavor to this pasta, while goat cheese and Parmesan add tangy richness.
Cooking the onions and mushrooms separately allows each to brown and develop flavor before they’re tossed with the other ingredients.
Reserved pasta water helps the goat cheese and Parmesan coat the ziti in a creamy sauce while bringing the mushroom and onion flavors together.

Mushroom pasta gets an extra layer of flavor from sweet caramelized onions and tangy goat cheese in this simple, satisfying dish. Portobello mushrooms bring a meaty texture, while fresh parsley, Parmesan, and black pepper round out the creamy, savory pasta.

The magic of pasta water

As pasta cooks, it releases starch into the water, which gives the reserved liquid the power to turn goat cheese and Parmesan into a creamy sauce. Add the pasta water gradually rather than all at once, adjusting the amount as the cheese melts and the pasta absorbs the liquid. Because the water is salted, it also adds seasoning to the finished dish.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Be patient with the onions — they need 20 minutes or more to gradually turn golden and caramelized. Resist the urge to increase the heat, which can cause them to burn before they develop their full sweetness.
Give the mushrooms enough room in the pan to brown rather than steam; if your pan is crowded, cook them in batches.
For the best texture, cook the ziti just until al dente. It will continue to soften slightly as it’s tossed with the hot mushroom mixture and pasta water.

Suggested pairing

While the mushrooms need a red wine, the goat cheese goes best with a wine that has plenty of acidity. A Pinot Noir from Oregon is an ideal choice for both.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 onions, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 pound portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces ziti
3 ounces soft goat cheese, such as Montrachet, crumbled
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

In a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the pan.
In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the ziti until just done, about 13 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Toss the ziti and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the goat cheese, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with additional Parmesan.

This recipe was first published in Food & Wine’s 1996 cookbook Quick From Scratch Pasta; the text was written in part by Emily Ziemski.