Japanese Buttered mushroom & spinach spaghetti

Dried mushrooms and pasta are a match made in heaven. Porcini mushrooms are wonderful, but they're also expensive. For a fraction of the cost, you can take your pasta in a more Japanese direction and use dried shiitake instead.

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Step 1

Soak the dried shitake in 1 cup (250 ml/8, fl oz) hot water for about 15 minutes. Slice the caps, discarding the stems (see Tip) and reserving the soaking liquid. Place the fresh mushrooms on a plate and microwave uncovered for 4 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it well. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the packet directions, but start to test for doneness about 2 minutes before it says it will be ready. While the spaghetti is cooking, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the olive oil and onion and fry for a minute. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Increase the heat to high, add the fresh mushrooms and sliced shitake and fry for 3-4 minutes until the mushrooms are browned. Add the sake, soy sauce, butter and cream, and a little of the reserved shiitake soaking liquid. Bring to a simmer and season with salt. When the spaghetti is al dente, transfer it to the mushroom mixture in the frying pan with a pair of tongs, along with about 4 cup (60 ml/2 fl oz) of the pasta water. Add the spinach and toss through the spaghetti until the pasta is coated in sauce, then serve scattered with the parmesan and a good grind of black pepper