The Godfather: Linguine with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

The Godfather - Recipe #7

I love pasta. It is the ultimate comfort food for me, and for many - for example, in the book, Michael seems to rely on it for a good night’s sleep after he is shipped off to Sicily for hiding…

“The long walks, a bottle of strong wine at night with a heavy plate of pasta (…) enabled Michael to sleep.” - Chapter 23

Marsala is one of my favorite sauces to put on top of pasta. It’s just so creamy and rich and the wine adds that certain something that always has me going back for seconds. I was afraid a vegan version wouldn’t be creamy enough, but oat milk and corn starch came to the rescue in the most delicious way.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 2 shallots, minced

• 1/4 tsp salt (+ more to taste)

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 5 cups sliced button mushrooms

• 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine

• 1 cup mushroom broth (or vegetable broth)

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 3 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1/8 cup oat milk

• 1 package linguine pasta, cooked to package instructions

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots, salt, pepper, and thyme, and cook until shallots are soft and translucent.

2. Add mushrooms and cook until soft and beginning to brown.

3. Add Marsala wine and bring to a simmer, over medium heat. Simmer for about 10 min, so alcohol can cook off.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or measuring cup, combine mushroom broth and tomato paste. Stir well. Very slowly sprinkle in cornstarch while whisking.

5. Pour this mixture into the mushroom mixture along with oat milk, and stir well. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

6. Serve over hot al dente linguine pasta and garnish with fresh parsley.

7. Enjoy!