Recipe(tried): Pasta with Two Mushroom Sauce with Rosemary, Fast Italian Bread (food processor)

I love porcini mushrooms and loved this pasta dish from Cook's Illustrated Magazine. I halved the recipe and added about 4 tablespoons of half-&-half cream at the end. Served it ith a mixed green salad and Fast Italian Bread. Bread recipe follows.

TWO MUSHROOM SAUCE WITH ROSEMARY

Button mushrooms get a tremendous boost from a handful of dried porcini. Serve with orecchiette or small shells. So that the pasta better absorbs the sauce, simmer the cooked pasta and one-third cup of grated parmesan cheese with the sauce for a minute or two, then serve.

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 pound white button mushrooms, stems trimmed and sliced thin
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated, strained and chopped coarse; reserve soaking liquid
salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1 pound cooked pasta, such as orecchiette or small shells

To rehydrate the porcini mushrooms: place in small bowl and cover with 1 cup hot water. Soak 20 minutes. Carefully lift the mushrooms from the liquid and pick through to remove any foreign debris. Wash mushrooms under cold water if they feel gritty, then chop. Strain soaking liquid through sieve lined with paper towel (or coffee filter).

Heat butter and oil over medium heat in large saut pan. Add onion; saut until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary; saut until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute.

Add button mushrooms; saut until golden and liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes. Add chopped porcini; saut to release flavors, 1 -2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add soaking liquid; bring to simmer. Stir in parsley, adjust and serve over 1 pound of cooked pasta. Serves 4.

From Cook's Illustrated, January/February 1997

Carl Sontheimer, who took the French Robot-Coupe and developed the original Cuisinart Food Processor, also published a cooking magazine in the 80's. I clipped so many recipes from it and now so wish I had kept the magazines. This bread recipe was from one of those magazines. I can have it mixed up and out of the oven in about 1 1/2 hours and considering that, it has earned a place in my permanent file. Hint for Florida bakers, use bottled spring water(re: discussions on bread rising problems in Florida).
BTW, I scanned the clipping to my email, gave it a little tweaking where the scanner had problems reading the fractions, then copied and pasted. I am so proud of myself, LOL, am I the only one who didn't know about this trick?

FAST ITALIAN BREAD (Food Processor)

1 package dry yeast
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water [210ml] [105 to 115 F.; 40 to 45 C. ]
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour [12 1/2 ounces, 350g]
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons cornmeal

In a 2-cup [480ml] liquid measure, stir the yeast into 1/4 cup [60ml] of the warm water and let stand about 10 minutes.
Use the metal blade of a food processor to process the flour, sugar, and salt for about 20 seconds.

Add the remaining warm water to the yeast. With the motor running, pour the yeast mixture through the feed tube in a steady stream as fast as the flour mixture absorbs it. Process until the dough is smooth and elastic andjust cleans the side of the bowl. (If the dough is too moist to clean the side of the bowl, add flour by tablespoons through the feed tube. If it is too dry, add warm water by teaspoons.) Process about 30 to 40 seconds more to knead the dough.

Sprinkle a baking sheet with the cornmeal. With lightly floured hands, remove the dough from the work bowl, shape it into a 16-inch [ 40cm ] loaf; and place it on the baking sheet. Cover it with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. [190 C. ]. Slash the top of the loaf with the metal blade. Lightly spray the dough with water. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the loaf is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped.

Let cool on a wire rack or serve warm. Makes one 18-ounce [500g] loaf.