Shiitake Soy Rigatoni

In this recipe, rigatoni combines with a vegetable medley and a silky BBQ sauce to create this cozy Italian-Korean fusion. Gochugaru is a bright-red spice made of ground sun-dried Korean chiles, commonly used in classic Korean dishes such as kimchi. Although gochugaru is available in most American grocery stores and specialty stores, it can be substituted with hot paprika in a pinch.

Ingredients:

For the rigatoni:

  • 8 oz. (250 g) rigatoni
  • Sesame oil for drizzling
  • 2 Tbs. neutral oil
  • 6 oz. (185 g) shiitake mushrooms or mushrooms of choice, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 Tbs. salted butter
  • 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 small bunch Swiss chard, stems removed and sliced and leaves chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper


For the sauce:

  • 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) Williams Sonoma Korean BBQ Sauce
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

  • Gochugaru for garnish
  • Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
  • Sliced scallions for garnish
  • 2 to 4 lemon wedges

Directions:

To make the rigatoni, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni according to the packaging instructions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) of the pasta water. Toss the rigatoni with a drizzle of sesame oil to prevent the pasta from sticking.

Warm the neutral oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the butter, fennel and Swiss chard stems and cook until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the Swiss chard leaves and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then transfer the vegetable mixture to a plate. Wipe out the pan.

To make the sauce, in a small bowl, mix together the BBQ sauce, sesame oil and soy sauce. Add the sauce, rigatoni and about 2 Tbs. of the pasta water to the pan. Stir until sauce is smooth, about 1 minute, adding more pasta water for a thinner consistency if desired. Return the vegetables to the pan and toss to combine.

Divide the vegetables and rigatoni among individual serving plates. Garnish each plate with a sprinkle of gochugaru, toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions, and a lemon wedge. Serves 2 to 4.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen