Mushroom Ragout

This recipe comes from Vanessa H. Of the recipe she says, "This one was surprisingly delicious. You see this beautiful dish and expect it to taste like a savory pasta. But oh no, my friend! When you take a bite you get a surprise! It has a really yummy sweet taste to it!" She found it at Rachael Ray's website. (Also, if you are interested in seeing it made, Rachael Ray's site has the clip from her show.)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 2 ribs celery from heart, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 to 5 garlic cloves, chopped or grated
• 1 cubanelle pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 2 cups mushroom stock (vegetable stock can be substituted)
• 2 15-ounce cans stewed tomatoes
• Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• 1 pound whole wheat penne
• 1 cup (about a handful) basil, torn
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:

In a large sauté pan over high heat, add EVOO. When the pan is hot, add the mushrooms, allspice, bay leaf, marjoram and freshly ground black pepper.

When the mushrooms are brown, add a pinch of salt, the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and peppers, and cook 4-5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until it smells sweet.

Add the red wine into the pan to deglaze, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the stock, stewed tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce. Bring up to a bubble and simmer about 10 minutes.

While the ragout is cooking, cook the whole wheat penne: Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add some salt and the penne, and cook to al dente according to the package directions.

When the pasta is done, toss it together with the mushroom ragout. Top with torn fresh basil and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I have used both cremini and regular mushrooms. Both are good, but creminis are more expensive...
2. I don't use marjoram that much in cooking, so I never buy it. I didn't use it in this recipe.
3. I just use two red bell peppers instead of a cubanelle.
4. I substitute apple juice for the red wine.
5. I just used chicken stock instead of mushroom or vegetable stock because that is what I had in the pantry.
6. Fresh basil is expensive, so I use the dried basil leaves as a garnish instead.
7. I let my sauce simmer longer than 10 minutes to get it a little thicker (and the pasta takes more than 10 minutes when you calculate in the time it takes to get the water to a boil).