Corkscrews with Chanterelles and Lentils - Fusilli con Finferli e Lenticchie

Finferli, which are also known as gallinacci in Italy, and as Chanterelles in France, are yellow wild mushrooms with conical caps that open up, rather than down. They're richly flavored, and will do a fine job of balancing both lentils and corkscrew pasta in this fall recipe. To serve 4 you'll need:

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2/3 pound (300 g) fusilli (pasta shaped like the spiral of a corkscrew)
• 6 ounces (150 g) lentils
• An onion, finely sliced
• A bay leaf
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2/3 pound (300 g) finferli -- in their absence use wild mushrooms, or a mixture of champignons and a few dried porcini -
• brushed free of dirt and sliced
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 sprigs fresh marjoram
• 1 pound (450 g) canned tomatoes, sliced up
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (the recipe calls for it but feel free to omit it)
• Salt & abundant pepper to taste

Preparation:

If the lentils are coarse, soak them over night. If they are instead fine, this will not be necessary. In either case, simmer them in slightly salted water for 40 minutes. While they're cooking, set pasta water to boil, and heat the oil in a skillet. Sauté the onions and the garlic with the bay leaf, and when the onion begins to turn golden add the mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the tomatoes, and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened. Drain the lentils and stir them into the sauce, together with the marjoram and the tomato paste. Cover and simmer over a low flame for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, salt the pasta water and cook the pasta; drain it when it's al dente, and stir the sauce and the soy sauce (if you're using it) into it. Add a healthy dusting of freshly grated black pepper and serve.

Yield: 4 servings corkscrews with chanterelles and lentils.

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