This recipe pairs the rich umami flavours of our mushrooms with the warm comforting richness of classic mac and cheese.
The secret ingredient, white miso (available in major supermarkets), boosts the mushroom flavour and rich texture of the sauce.
The key is to divide your mushrooms into two parts. The first part consists of the stalks and bases, which will get minced finely and cooked into a rich mushroom sauce. The second part, the delicate tops, will get cooked only lightly to preserve their texture and shape.
Cooking time: 45 minutes Serves: 2
Ingredients
250 g macaroni pasta
250 g mixed mushrooms, divided
1 small brown onion, diced
80 g butter
1 teaspoon white miso, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water
40 g flour
2 cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup thickened cream
125 g shredded cheese (we mix of tasty and mozzarella)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Crumb top (optional)
1 tablespoon panko bread crumb
1 tablespoon fresh grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt flakes
Mix these together and sprinkle on top for a pleasing crunchy toasty finish
Additional shredded cheese for topping
Cook pasta in salted water. Drain, rinse and set aside in a large bowl. To prepare the mushrooms, separate the bases from the tops. Tear the tops into relatively large chunks. Chop bases finely.
To prepare sauce, melt 40g of the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add chopped mushroom bases and cook, stirring often for 4-5 min. Stir in the flour to form a paste. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, 2-3 min until the paste is a blonde colour. Switch to a whisk. Whisk in the milk gradually to form a smooth sauce. Whisk in the cream, garlic and onion powders.
Continue to cook, stirring constantly until the sauce comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
Immediately stir in the grated cheese, continuing to stir until completely melted. Finally, stir in the Dijon mustard and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste and the sauce is done. Pour the sauce over your cooked pasta.
Melt the remaining 40g butter in frypan over medium heat. Add diced onion and mushroom tops. Cook 3-4 min until just wilted, stirring often. Add the water/miso mix and stir to coat. Transfer the finished mushrooms to the bowl with the pasta and stir through.
To assemble the final dish, transfer pasta mix to a buttered oven-safe baking dish. Top with additional grated cheese and the crumb mix. Bake at 180°C until bubbly and starting to brown. Remove from oven and allow stand 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe and photos by Bear Bites Media