The key to the most flavorful mushroom pasta?

Skip the quick saute of the mushrooms. Instead, exercise a little patience to roast them in the oven for 45 minutes with soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.

The result are mushrooms that are deeply caramelized, wonderful smoky tasting, and because of the seasonings, boosted with meaty and savory flavors.

This recipe for “Slow-Roasted Oyster Mushroom Ragu” is from “Cooking Fast and Slow” (10 Speed Press, 2025).

The cookbook is by Natalia Rudin, a London-based personal chef, health and nutrition coach, and yoga teacher.

With her busy life, she well understands the need for both quick recipes for harried weekdays and more leisurely ones for days that are more relaxed. As such, her book chapters are handily arranged into recipes that take 15 minutes or less, 30 minutes or less, 1 hour or less, and 1 hour or more.

There’s “Speedy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta” in 15 minutes; “Harissa Chickpeas with Squash and Pomegranate” in 1 hour or less; and “Chai-Spiced Chocolate and Pecan Blondies” when you need to satisfy the sweet tooth.

This oyster mushroom ragu recipe falls squarely in the 1 hour or more category. But there’s no heavy lifting involved.

I actually used a combination of oyster and lion’s mane mushrooms. And honestly, most any mushroom would work well in this dish.

Tear the mushrooms into small pieces, toss with the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, and a little olive oil, the roast in the oven until charred.

In a saucepan on the stovetop, saute shallot, celery and carrot. Then, pour in a can of chopped San Marzano tomatoes and beef stock, and simmer.

Boil your pasta. The recipe calls for 12 1/4 ounces of rigatoni. I decided to cook the full 1 pound bag of rigatoni, which still worked with the amount of sauce.

Stir the roasted mushrooms into the sauce, then add in the drained pasta, mixing in a little of the pasta cooking water to loosen up the mixture if need be. Serve with grated Parmesan, if you like.

Mushrooms and pinot noir are natural partners, so I uncorked a sample bottle of the 2021 Whitehall Lane Sonoma Stage Vineyard Pinot Noir ($45). Made by the third-generation Leonardini family, Garnet in color, the smooth, velvety wine brims with the aroma of dark cherries, which continues on the palate with juicy notes of raspberries, strawberries, and cranberries with a touch of cedar.

This pinot noir not only had enough body to stand up to the pasta, but the two together really brought to the forefront fruity and loamy characteristics they both shared.

With Worcestershire sauce and beef stock, this pasta dish isn’t necessarily vegetarian even if it contains no meat per se.

But it’s so hearty and satisfying that even my husband, aka Meat Boy, couldn’t get enough of it.

Slow-Roasted Oyster Mushroom Ragu

(Serves 4)

1 pound oyster mushrooms

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 shallot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 small carrot, diced

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

Two (14-ounce) cans tomatoes such a San Marzano, whole or chopped

1 beef stock cube (or use chicken or vegetable stock cube)

12 1/4 ounces to 1 pound pasta, such as rigatoni

Salt and black pepper

Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Tear the mushrooms up into thin slivers, place on a baking sheet and drizzle with the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and roast for 40 to 45 minutes, until charred.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the shallot, celery, and carrot with a pinch of salt for 5 to 8 minutes, until softened. Follow with the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes, then pour in the canned tomatoes, fill one of the cans with water and add that, too, along with the stock cube. If using whole tomatoes, crush them with a wooden spoon against the sides of the pan. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer until the mushrooms come out of the oven.

Stir the roasted mushrooms into the sauce, season to taste, and allow to reduce more while you cook your pasta according to the instructions on the package.

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the cooking water to loosen the mushroom sauce if necessary.

Mix the drained, cooked pasta into the sauce and season to taste before serving.

Tip: Use gluten-free pasta, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce to make this dish gluten-free.

Adapted from “Cooking Fast and Slow” by Natalia Rudin

More Mushroom-Noodle Recipes to Enjoy: Honey-Glazed Mushrooms with Udon

And: Porcini and Cream Sauce Pasta

And: Enoki Alfredo