Pasta Boscaiola with Mushrooms

📝 Ingredients

• 320 g penne
• 500 g button mushrooms
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400 g)
• 200 ml light single cream 12%
• 300 g frozen peas
• 1 brown onion (about 150 g)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil (1 for the mushrooms, 1 for the onion)
• 40 g grated Parmesan (20 g for binding, 20 g for serving)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large saucepan
• Large sauté pan
• Colander
• Wooden spoon
• Cutting board and knife

📖 Steps

1. Wipe the mushrooms with damp kitchen paper rather than rinsing them, as they would soak up the water, then cut into 5 mm slices. Slice the onion, chop the garlic and put a large pan of salted water on to heat for the pasta.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the sauté pan over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then: they first release their water, then brown once it has evaporated. Season lightly with salt and set aside in a bowl.
3. In the same sauté pan, over a medium heat, add the rest of the oil and soften the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir for 30 seconds, then pour in the chopped tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes over a low heat, until the sauce thickens.
4. Meanwhile, cook the penne in the boiling salted water for 1 minute less than the time on the packet. Add the frozen peas straight into the pasta water 3 minutes before the end of the cooking time.
5. Pour the light cream into the tomato sauce, add the browned mushrooms and simmer for 2 minutes: the sauce turns pink and silky. Season lightly with salt, as the Parmesan is already salty, and with pepper.
6. Scoop out about 150 ml cooking water, then drain the pasta and peas. Tip them into the sauté pan and stir for 1 minute over a low heat, adding a little cooking water if the sauce is too thick.
7. Off the heat, add 20 g Parmesan and mix well to bind the sauce. Serve straight away, sprinkled with the rest of the Parmesan and a grind of black pepper.