I’ve made this a lot. Even though it’s completely vegetarian, it tastes very full-bodied and complex, with a deep, winy flavor that even meat-lovers will enjoy. I serve it often when I am cooking for a crowd and don’t know how many vegetarians may be in the group.

　　

Ingredients

6 to 8 servings

　　1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

　　1 1/2 cups very hot water

　　3 carrots, peeled and chopped

　　1 onion, peeled and chopped

　　1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

　　2 garlic cloves

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

　　1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves

　　2 teaspoons salt

　　1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　5 ounces assorted mushrooms (such as shiitake, cremini, and brown), stemmed and chopped

　　2 tablespoons tomato paste

　　1/2 cup red wine

　　1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

　　1 pound rigatoni pasta

　　1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　

Step 1

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with the hot water. Set aside and let the mushrooms soften.

　　

Step 2

Place the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse the vegetables until finely chopped but still chunky. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the chopped vegetables, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 6 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Add the porcini mushrooms, fresh mushrooms, and tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring to dissolve the tomato paste, until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom soaking liquid and the red wine. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir just until the cheese is incorporated.

　　

Step 4

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and add to the vegetable mixture. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, if necessary, to moisten the sauce. Toss with the Parmesan and serve.

　　Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.