Pork Loin Roast with Wild Mushroom Pasta

• 3 to 5 pound boneless or bone-in pork loin roast
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic
• 4 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
• 4 to 5 sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
• Approximately ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup dried wild mushrooms (boletus or truffes des pauvres)
• 1 cup veal stock
• 4 to 5 large fresh chanterelle mushrooms
• 6 to 8 cultivated mushrooms (such as white button or cremini)
• 4 to 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• ½ clove garlic, finely minced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons zinfandel or rich red wine
• 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons roughly minced parsley
• Fresh pappardelle pasta

Pre-heat oven to 300°F

Rub the pork loin with the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and season it with salt and pepper. Rub the seasoned pork loin with about ½ cup of olive oil and place it in a roasting pan, preferably with a meat rack. Roast for approximately 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer reads 145°F at the center of the loin. Turn the oven to the broiler setting and brown the roast for approximately 3-5 minutes under the broiler, monitoring closely, to achieve a nice golden crust on the top side. Allow the roast to rest for 20 minutes out of the oven before collecting the juices for drizzling over later.

Soak ¼ cup dried wild mushrooms in 1 cup hot veal stock for 20 to 30 minutes. Pick over the soaked mushrooms, rinsing them if necessary, and slice them into ⅜-inch slices if they are large. Slice 4 to 5 chanterelles, enough to equal about 3 cups, and 6 to 8 cultivated mushrooms, enough to equal about 1 cup.

To cook the ragout, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the dried soaked mushrooms for about a minute, then add the chanterelles and cultivated mushrooms. Stir together for a minute, then add 1 shallot and ½ clove garlic, both finely minced, and salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of zinfandel and the strained veal stock, and bring the ragout to a boil. Finish the ragout with the remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons butter and 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream and remove from the heat. Taste for salt and add an ample amount freshly ground black pepper.

Cook fresh pasta in boiling salted water until al dente then strain and toss with the ragout.

To serve, transfer the pasta to a warmed bowl and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons roughly minced parsley. Slice the meat from the roast, place on top of the pasta, and drizzle with reserved pork juices.

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