ROASTED MUSHROOMS WITH PARMESAN AND PINE NUTS

SERVES: 4

TOTAL TIME: 55 minutes

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS This rich, woodsy blend of cremini and shiitake mushrooms shows that roasting is a fantastic—and largely hands-off—way to cook mushrooms. The unusual step of brining the mushrooms first turned out to be the key to flavorful, moist roasted mushrooms. This quick process seasoned the mushrooms evenly and allowed them to absorb moisture through their gills and cut surfaces, which improved the texture of the drier shiitakes in particular. After spreading them on a rimmed baking sheet, we roasted the brined mushrooms for just under an hour, until they were darkly browned. To give the savory mushrooms a rich finish, we coated them in melted butter and lemon juice and tossed in Parmesan, parsley, and toasted pine nuts.

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 teaspoons salt
• 1½ pounds cremini mushrooms, trimmed and left whole if small, halved if medium, or quartered if large
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps larger than 3 inches halved
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Whisk 5 teaspoons salt into 2 quarts water in large container until dissolved. Add cremini mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms, cover with plate or bowl to submerge, and let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Drain mushrooms, then pat dry with paper towels. Transfer mushrooms to rimmed baking sheet and toss with oil to coat. Roast until liquid has completely evaporated, 35 to 45 minutes.
4. Carefully stir mushrooms and continue to roast until mushrooms are deeply browned, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Transfer mushrooms to large serving bowl and toss with Parmesan, pine nuts, parsley, melted butter, and lemon juice.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve immediately.

VARIATIONS:

ROASTED MUSHROOMS WITH HARISSA AND MINT

• Omit Parmesan and pine nuts and increase lemon juice to 2 teaspoons. Substitute 2 tablespoons mint for parsley. Add 1 minced garlic clove, 2 teaspoons harissa, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, and ¼ teaspoon salt to mushroom mixture in step 5.

ROASTED MUSHROOMS WITH ROASTED GARLIC AND SMOKED PAPRIKA

• Add 3 unpeeled garlic cloves to sheet with mushrooms in step 3. Remove garlic from sheet in step 3 when stirring mushrooms. When garlic is cool to touch, peel and mash. Omit Parmesan and pine nuts and substitute 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar for lemon juice. Add mashed garlic, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, and ¼ teaspoon salt to mushroom mixture in step 5.