ROASTED MAITAKE MUSHROOM RECIPE RECIPES

Steps:

• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 325°. Combine mushrooms, thyme sprigs, and garlic on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season generously with kosher salt and pepper; drizzle with oil. Toss to coat mushrooms, then spread out in an even layer. (Make sure not to crowd the mushrooms on the baking sheet; otherwise, they’ll steam instead of getting crispy.) Transfer to upper rack in oven and let mushrooms roast while you prepare polenta.
• Bring 4½ cups water to a simmer in a large ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Add butter and a generous pinch of kosher salt and whisk to melt butter. Gradually add polenta, whisking constantly. (Gradually incorporating the polenta into the water is key to preventing clumps.) Return mixture to a boil, immediately cover pot, and transfer to lower rack in oven. Bake polenta, shaking baking sheet with mushrooms occasionally, until polenta is tender, 25–30 minutes.
• Remove polenta from oven. Crank up oven temperature as high as it will go (but don’t broil). Continue to cook mushrooms until crisp around the edges, 5–10 minutes longer.
• Meanwhile, carefully uncover polenta and whisk vigorously, scraping bottom of pan, until polenta is smooth and thick. Gradually add 4 oz. Parmesan, whisking constantly until melted and incorporated; taste and season with more kosher salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm over low heat while mushrooms finish roasting.
• Remove mushrooms from oven; drizzle with vinegar. Toss to coat; let cool slightly.
• Divide polenta among bowls and top with mushrooms, thyme leaves, sea salt, and more Parmesan.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Toast cashews on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 7–9 minutes. Let cool.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Arrange half of mushrooms in a single layer in pot and cook, undisturbed, until edges are brown and starting to crisp, about 3 minutes. Give mushrooms a good toss, then continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until all sides are brown and crisp, about 5 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a plate; season with salt. Repeat with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil, remaining mushrooms, and more salt.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and return all of the mushrooms to same pot. Add leeks, shallots, and garlic and cook, stirring often and adding another 1 Tbsp. oil if pan looks dry, until leeks and shallots are translucent and softened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about  2 minutes less than package directions (the pasta will finish cooking in the pan). Drain pasta, reserving ¾ cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Blend cashews, nutritional yeast, and pasta cooking liquid in a blender until very creamy. Set cashew cream aside.
• Return drained pasta to pot with mushroom mixture and add reserved cashew cream. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring well to coat, until pasta is al dente, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add parsley and squeeze in juice from lemon half. Toss well to incorporate.
• Divide pasta evenly among shallow bowls or plates and top with several grinds of pepper.