Linguine in wild mushroom sauce

Dried wild mushrooms have become a staple in my pantry these days. With a hectic schedule and a desire to eat as many home cooked meals as possible, there is a need to revise the grocery list every now and then to come up with innovative ideas that are in stock and save time while entertaining! Dried food happens to be one of such items.

Ingredients:
1 cup of dried while mushroom
2 1/2 cups of hot water

1/2 packet of Linguine pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tbsp flour
2 cloves of garlic
Crushed red pepper to taste
Black Pepper powder to taste
Dried oregano to taste
3 tsp cream(optional)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pre-prepration:
Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for at least 30 minutes before making the pasta.

Method:
1. Start cooking the pasta based on the instructions on the packet.
2. Drain the soaking mushrooms and reserve the liquid for later use.
3. In a skillet start heating olive oil, red pepper, black pepper, garlic, oregano and salt on a medium-low flame.
4. Once the oil is heated(not to the smoking point) put the flour and cook it for 1-2 minutes into a smooth paste.
5. Add mushroom stock to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
6. Add cream and drained mushrooms to the sauce and simmer for another minute or two on low flame.
7. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix.
8. Mix half of the Parmesan in the pasta.

Garnish with remaining Parmesan and serve hot!