Pasta gratin with mushrooms: the perfect creamy recipe for autumn
This pasta gratin with mushrooms is pure temptation: creamy, aromatic, and with that golden crust that crackles just before melting into the rest of the dish. It's one of those recipes you crave as soon as autumn arrives, when your body wants something warm and comforting without any fuss.
Ingredients · Servings 3
- 200g of pasta (preferably short: macaroni, spirals, penne...)
- 300g of fresh (or canned) mushrooms
- 1 clove of garlic
- 30g of white wine (optional)
- 50g of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 fresh mozzarella (about 125 g)
- Black pepper (amount to taste)
- Extra virgin olive oil (amount to taste)
- 1 knob of butter
- For the béchamel sauce
- 500 ml of milk
- 40g of flour
- 40g of butter
- Nutmeg (amount to taste)
- Black pepper (amount to taste)
- Salt (amount to taste)
Method · 45 min
- Sauté the mushrooms: Clean the mushrooms well and slice them thinly. Heat a little oil with a knob of butter and a whole clove of garlic. Add the mushrooms and sauté them over high heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Deglaze and set aside: If desired, add a splash of white wine, let the alcohol evaporate, and reduce the heat slightly. Cook for another 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste, remove the garlic, and set aside.
- To prepare the béchamel sauce: Heat the milk in a saucepan. In another saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour, and stir until a roux forms. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly, until you obtain a smooth sauce.
- Season with salt and pepper, add a pinch of nutmeg, stir and set aside off the heat.
- Cook the pasta: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water, but leave it al dente: a few minutes less than indicated on the package. Drain it well.
- Mix: In a large bowl, mix the pasta with the mushrooms (reserve a few for garnish) and half of the Parmesan cheese.
- Add half of the béchamel sauce and stir until everything is well combined.
- To assemble the gratin: Pour a few tablespoons of béchamel sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Place a layer of pasta, then scatter drained mozzarella pieces, a little Parmesan cheese, and more béchamel sauce over the top. Repeat this process until all the ingredients are used. Finish with the remaining béchamel sauce, the cheese, and the reserved mushrooms.
- Bake: Bake at 180ºC for 25-30 minutes, until the surface is golden brown and slightly crispy.
- To serve: Remove from the oven, let it rest for a few minutes, and serve the gratin piping hot. And that's it!
