Big Pasta with Mushroom, Parsley, Garlic and Thyme

Name: Big Pasta with Mushroom, Parsley, Garlic and Thyme
Prep time: P0Y0M0DT0H30M0.000S
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H30M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT1H0M0.000S
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 1 stick butter; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 8 cups milk; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Freshly grated nutmeg; 2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 stick; 1 tablespoon oil; 3 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups boiling water; 1 pound, 8 ounces mixed mushrooms, chopped; 3/4 cups fresh parsley leaves, chopped, plus 3/4 cup, plus 1/4 cup more for garnish; 1 teaspoon dried thyme or fresh thyme leaves; 3 fat garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 cup amontillado sherry; 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus 1 cup; Salt; 3 pounds rigatoni or other big pasta of choice; Few sprigs fresh thyme, for garnish

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Level: Intermediate
Total: 1 hr

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min

Yield: 16 servings

Level: Intermediate
Total: 1 hr

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

Bechamel:

1 stick butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

8 cups milk

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

Mushroom Mixture:

2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 stick

1 tablespoon oil

3 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 2 cups boiling water

1 pound, 8 ounces mixed mushrooms, chopped

3/4 cups fresh parsley leaves, chopped, plus 3/4 cup, plus 1/4 cup more for garnish

1 teaspoon dried thyme or fresh thyme leaves

3 fat garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup amontillado sherry

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus 1 cup

Salt

3 pounds rigatoni or other big pasta of choice

Few sprigs fresh thyme, for garnish

Directions

Special equipment:

Large roasting pan, approximately 12 3/4 by 16 1/2 inches.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a saucepan, melt the butter for the bechamel, and add the flour, stirring gently to make a smooth paste. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the milk. Turn the heat back on to medium, and stir the bechamel until it begins to thicken and come to the boil. Let it bubble for about 5 minutes to get rid of the floury taste. Take off the heat and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter and the oil in a large wide pan. Drain the porcini, reserving the liquid, and chop before adding to the pan with 3/4 cup chopped parsley, the dried or fresh thyme, and garlic. Stir for a couple of minutes then melt the remaining 1 stick of butter in the same pan and add the chopped mushrooms, stirring for about 5 minutes. The mushrooms will appear dry at first but will eventually start to give off some liquid.
Add the porcini soaking liquid, which the mushrooms will largely absorb, but keep stirring and add the sherry and let it bubble away. Turn off the heat when you have a bronzed, syrupy stew.
Stir the mushroom mixture into the bechamel and add 1 cup of the Parmesan and the other 3/4 cup of the chopped parsley. Put a big pan of water on for the pasta, and when it boils, salt it well. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and add to the mushroomy white sauce, stirring it as best you can to get the pasta covered.
Turn into the large roasting pan and sprinkle over the remaining 1 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top begins to turn golden in places.
When the tin comes out of the oven, decorate with the remaining 1/4 cup chopped parsley and some sprigs of fresh thyme.