FRENCH ONION & BROWN BUTTON MUSHROOM PASTA

SERVES 4 / PREPARATION 10 MINUTES / COOKING 50 MINUTES

¼ cup olive oil, plus extra to serve

3 medium onions, thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, grated

300g brown button mushrooms, sliced

½ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups beef stock (or vegetable stock) 350g dried casarecce pasta or other short-cut pasta 1 cup water

3 tablespoons fresh thyme

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until deeply caramelised, about 25-30 minutes.

Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 5-8 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to soften and are cooked. Add the wine and stir to deglaze the pan, letting the wine bubble up and scraping the base of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir for about 2 minutes until the wine has evaporated and then add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, add the dried pasta and cook on a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is nearly al dente and you have a rich, brown onion sauce. Keep in mind that different pasta shapes will have different cooking times, so this is where the 1 cup of water comes in: towards the end keep checking if the pasta is al dente and that you have enough sauce – keep adding the water until you have the desired sauce consistency and the pasta is al dente. Now add the thyme. Once plated, dress with a little olive oil.