Baked Cheesy Pasta With Wild Mushrooms

By Melissa Clark

Updated April 12, 2023

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(1,467)
Comments
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A more sophisticated take on mac and cheese, this golden-topped casserole has roasted wild mushrooms for a deep, earthy character, and melted fontina for the gooey factor. You can use any kind of mushrooms here. If you can’t get wild ones (also called exotic, and most of them are actually farmed), use whatever is available. The key is to roast them until they are well browned and crisp at the edges so the flavor intensifies. Serve this as a vegetarian main course or as a rich side dish to roast chicken or meats. You can assemble the casserole the day before. Just add a few minutes onto the baking time if it’s cold from the fridge when you pop it into the oven.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

  • 1 pound mixed wild or cultivated mushrooms, such as oyster, maitake and shiitake

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus a few grinds

  • 2 fresh rosemary branches

  • ½ pound orecchiette, farfalle or other short pasta

  • ¾ cup heavy cream

  • ½ cup fresh ricotta

  • 5 ounces fontina cheese, grated (1 ¼ cups)

  • 2 ounces Parmesan, grated (½ cup)

  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage

  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

28 grams carbs; 63 milligrams cholesterol; 387 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 24 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 372 milligrams sodium; 15 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Trim the mushrooms and cut into 1-inch pieces. Toss with the olive oil, the salt, a few grinds of pepper and the rosemary. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast, tossing once or twice, until golden brown and crisped around the edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Discard rosemary.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for at least a few minutes less than the package directs. (You want the pasta very al dente; it will finish softening in the sauce.) Drain well.

  3. Step 3

    Turn oven up to 500 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the cream, ricotta, fontina, Parmesan, sage, pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir in the pasta and mushrooms. Arrange in a shallow 2-quart gratin dish or 9- by 13-inch pan. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly and browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,467 user ratings
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Comments

Jean

Made this tonight, got genuine Italian fontina, shiitake, oyster, Bella, and some regular white mushrooms. Get more than 1 lb as you may want to discard some fibrous stems. Written recipe doesn't make clear to strip off the rosemary leaves to add to mushrooms, not roast with whole sprigs. But WHOA, hold the salt!! Way too much & not sure I can eat the rest. All of the cheeses are packed with sodium/salt. I am thinking no add

anne

Just a note about Italian cheeses which from what I have read are basically the only cheeses in the world still made from fresh local milk...most countries are using dried milk which could come from anywhere, even countries far away...just make sure you buy Italian cheeses with the DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) stamp on them, that way you will know that your Parmigiano, for example, really does come the the protected zone of Parmigiano Reggiano.

KCL

I did this recipe tonight with half and half, shitake/white/cremini, and a cheese blend of fontina/asiago/parmesan. Super tasty! But a half pound of pasta is more like 3-4 servings realistically, not 8.

LA

Delicious! I added some sautéed kale and shallots, which brought a lot of flavor to the dish. Next time I would sautee the mushrooms instead of roasting, and would definitely recommend mixing everything in the dish instead of dirtying another bowl. Yum!

Compromising Cook

I mixed the mushrooms and dairy ingredients in the gratin dish before adding the pasta, eliminating the need for a mixing bowl--this could also be done in the pot after draining the pasta. I never have all the cheeses on hand, so increase what I do have. I also use light cream. I'm sure the results pale by comparison but they are still very tasty.

marie

Delicious. Added a top of sliced parboiled potatoes.

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