Pasta with Mushroom Cream Sauce (Pasta Al Funghi – Vegetarian)

This is an improved version of the same recipe posted earlier.

Ingredients (Serve 1)

1. 5 dry shitake mushroom
2. 3 clove of garlic
3. 250 ml full cream milk (or whipping cream milk for fuller texture)
4. 2 slice of cheese
5. 2 tablespoon olive oil
6. ¼ teaspoon salt
7. small cup of pasta (fusilli, spaghetti, linguine, penne, etc)
8. 1.5 litres of water to boiling the pasta
9. ½ cup water to soak mushroom

Method

1. Rinse the mushroom to remove any dirt, and soak mushroom in ½ cup water for 2 hours.
2. Peel garlic, and chop finely, set aside.
3. Take the mushroom out of the water, keep the water as it will be used later.  Remove the mushroom  stem of the mushroom, squeeze off water from the mushroom (collect the water back into the cup or bowl used to soak the mushroom) and slice thinly, set aside.  
4. Bring a pot of water to boil, and add in the pasta and boil for the recommended time (on the packaging).   However, you can adjust the time depending on the softness of the pasta to your preference.
5. Drain of water and set it aside.
6. In a sauce pan or frying pan (I prefer using a sauce pan), heat up and add olive oil.  When oil is heated up, add garlic into the oil and a quick stir to get the fragrant out, then add in the mushroom and stir. Let the content to fry for 1-2 mins in low heat (do not burn the garlic). 
7. Pour in the water used to soak the mushroom, and let it boil in high heat.  Allow it to dry up slightly to about ¼ cup of water or less (roughly).  Add in milk and salt and allow it boil lightly.  Add in cheese and allow it to melt (less than a minute). 
8. Off heat and add in the pasta and toss to mixed it up.
9. Serve warm.
10. Optional, may sprinkle some pine nuts, and also some cracked black pepper.