Giada De Laurentiis' Paccheri Pasta with Mushroom Marsala
One of my favorite things about Chicken Marsala is the way that mushrooms soak up the rich, sweet flavor of Marsala wine - so I thought that would make a great addition to a vegetarian pasta dish. I find this is a great time to choose some great quality trumpet or porcini mushrooms so the flavors can shine, but just about any regular mushroom will work great for this - such a cremini or baby bella. With freshly grated parmesan cheese, arugula, and a sprinkling of pistachios at the end, this Paccheri pasta with Marsala mushrooms is one of those pasta dishes that works just as well for a casual weeknight as it does for a dinner party with company.
Paccheri pasta is one of my absolute favorites because of its shape, but you can absolutely make this dish with penne, rigatoni, or any other tube-shaped pasta.
Note - you can make this dish entirely vegetarian by using vegetable broth in place of chicken!
ingredients
Paccheri Pasta with Mushroom Marsala
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil Divided
- 2 Garlic Cloves Smashed and peeled
- 1 Lb Fresh Porcini Mushrooms or Royal Trumpets Sliced 1/4 inch
- 3/4 Tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 Shallot Chopped
- 1/4 Cup Sweet Marsala Wine
- 1/2 Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Lb Paccheri Pasta
- 1 1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 Cup Baby Arugula
- 1/2 Cup Roasted Salted Pistachios
prep
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add 2 tablespoons of the oil to the pan and heat another 30 seconds.
Add the garlic cloves and mushrooms to the pan.
Season with the salt and stir.
Cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes or until the bottom layer of mushrooms are golden brown.
Stir and repeat this until the mushrooms are evenly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and the shallot and cook, stirring often for 2 minutes.
Deglaze with the marsala and simmer for 1 minute or until almost reduced.
Add the chicken broth and butter and simmer for 3 minutes to emulsify and thicken slightly.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Season generously with salt. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than package directions, about 10 minutes, or until not quite al dente.
Using a spider, spoon the pasta directly from the water into the sauce over medium heat.
Add 1/3 cup pasta water to the pan.
Sprinkle the bare pasta with 1 cup of parmesan cheese.
Toss well to combine and coat in the sauce.
Simmer for 2 minutes, tossing often, to finish the pasta.
Stir in the arugula and until just wilted and the remaining cheese.
Sprinkle with the pistachios.
Top with more cheese before serving if desired.
