Penne with mushroom sauce (Penne col sugo di funghi coltivati)

This is a simple recipe of Italian origins, but one that pops with flavour. The magic combination in this recipe is the melding of earthy mushrooms and anchovies.

Anchovies have long been used as an "umami" agent in the Mediterranean and European cuisine. Across the world, anchovies have been used similarly: Jeotgal in Korea, fish sauces, Nam pla in Thailand, and Nuoc nam in Vietnam; shaved, smoked skipjack tuna in Japan; and other dried, salted, fermented, and fish pastes. This is a fascinating world, one that I love.

The feeling of umami, yes, it is considered more of a feeling rather than a taste, is derived primarily from a molecule called L-glutamate. Anchovies have lots of protein, but standard amounts of L-glutamate. However, during curing, salting, or fermentation, the protein breaks down and releases large amounts of L-glutamate. The second molecule is Inosine Monophosphate (IMP), a molecule derived from the cell's energy molecule, Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). During curing, ATP is converted to IMP, providing the second booster molecule responsible for the umami taste. What really is fascinating is that all the varied curing processes, salting, fermentation, pastes, liquids, and more provide the same two umami agents, the process is almost driven by this flavour in each case.

One of my few frustrations in India with pasta is that there are barely any restaurants that serve a light sauce; most are heavy cream-based sauces, rich and decadent. In India, Italian cuisine has unfortunately taken a turn towards richness, cream, butter, and masses of cheese, completely missing the true nature of Italian cuisine, which is light and fresh. This may be driven mainly by the 5-star restaurant training and French training schools, which like to plate rich dishes.

Back to this lovely pasta, it is light, fresh and seasonal, perfect for this very hot spell we are having. the sauce is light and flavourful, the anchovies a hint and delicious. The mushrooms add an earthiness that balances the pasta. This is a bowl that I enjoyed and want to have again.

Marcella Hazan is considered by many to be the doyen of Italian food and is credited with bringing traditional Italian cuisine to the US. She has published numerous cookbooks, and I have quite a few of them. I have no idea how I started collecting her cookbooks, but each one, including this one, is a gem. Her amazing story of becoming one of the best-loved Italian chefs in America is detailed in a New Yorker article here. This volume is loaded with non-fussy traditional recipes that stay true to the core of light Italian cooking. The dishes transport you back to Italy. This book is a compendium of classic recipes, one that belongs on every chef's kitchen counter and should be pulled out to curb that craving for great, healthy Italian cuisine.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here

Ingredients:

For the penne:

3/4 lb penne pasta

8 cups of water

A drizzle of olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

For the sugo:

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 anchovies in oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb mushrooms, oyster or cremini, cut into bite-sized pieces

Salt, to taste

1 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 tomatoes, finely diced

3 + 1 tablespoons parsley

Method:

Bring the water to a boil with the olive oil and salt. Add the penne pasta while stirring, and cook as per the package instructions, minus 1 minute for "al dente". Drain and set aside.

For the Sugo:

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan or deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the anchovies and melt them into teh oil. Add the onions and garlic, and saute until the onions are very soft, about 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, turn the heat up a bit, and sauté until the liquids have evaporated and the mushrooms have browned on the edges.

Add the wine and let it bubble for about 3 minutes; it will dry out. Add the tomatoes and 3 tablespoons of parsley, then cook for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are broken down and the sauce is thick. If the sauce dries out, add 1./4 cup water to thin it down a bit, but you are looking for a thick, clingy sauce.

Add the cooked penne pasta and toss well to coat the pasta evenly with the sauce. Serve immediately.