Mushroom & Tomato Sauce

This is the kind of Italian pasta sauce you throw together on a Tuesday night when the fridge is looking sparse. A pound of sliced mushrooms, canned Roma tomatoes, four cloves of garlic, olive oil, and two herbs. Twenty minutes, start to finish.

The method is all about building flavor in stages. Garlic, parsley, and marjoram hit the hot olive oil first, just for a minute, to bloom their aromatics. Then the mushrooms go in and cook for 5 minutes until they’ve released their liquid and started to brown. Canned plum tomatoes go in last and cook on high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, reducing into a thick, concentrated sauce.

That high-heat finish is important. It drives off excess moisture from both the mushrooms and the tomatoes, leaving you with a sauce that clings to pasta instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Marjoram, a milder cousin of oregano, adds a subtle sweetness that softens the acidity of the tomatoes.

Chef Tips

• Don’t stir the mushrooms constantly. Let them sit in the pan long enough to brown. Constant stirring releases steam and prevents color.
• Crush the canned tomatoes by hand as they go in the pan. This gives you a chunkier, more rustic sauce than pre-crushed would.
• Four cloves of garlic is generous. If you love garlic, this is your sauce. If not, use two.
• Toss with spaghetti, penne, or any short pasta that catches sauce in its ridges.

Variations

• Add a pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic for a spicy kick.
• Stir in a splash of red wine before adding the tomatoes for deeper flavor.