Spinach Linguine with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Do Ahead (But Not Too Far Ahead)

1. Prepare the fresh linguine. Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet sprinkled liberally with semolina flour (or cornmeal) and covered with a kitchen towel.

Prepare the Sauce

1. In a medium-sized bowl, add the dried porcini mushrooms and cover with the warm water. Let soak for 20 minutes.
2. Wipe the fresh mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Remove the stems and set them aside (hold on to the stems). Slice the mushrooms to about ¼-inch thickness and set aside.
3. Use a sieve to drain the soaked porcinis into another medium-sized bowl. If the mushrooms have a little grit on them, use a clean paper towel to wipe them clean. Give them a rough chop and set aside. Hold onto the soaking liquid.
4. Add the chicken broth, reserved mushroom stems, bay leaf, and thyme to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add half of the soaked porcinis to the pan. Simmer for 15 minutes and then raise the heat to high and boil for another 5 minutes.
5. Strain the broth through a sieve into a heat-proof bowl. Discard the solids and hold onto the broth.
6. In a large saucepan/skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the garlic, and sauté, stirring often, until lightly golden and aromatic, about 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Add the basil, parsley, oregano, remaining porcinis, and sliced fresh mushrooms. Sauté, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender when pierced with a knife, about 8 minutes. Add a healthy pinch of salt and pepper and stir to coat.
8. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
9. Add the reserved chicken mushroom broth and ½ cup of the porcini soaking liquid to the mushroom mixture. Use your hands to break up the tomatoes into the pan. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens a little.
10. Cook the pasta (if fresh, usually only about 3 minutes). Drain the pasta and then add to a large pasta bowl. Toss the hot pasta with the butter and ¼ cup of the grated Parmesan cheese.
11. Transfer half of the sauce over the pasta. Drizzle on the truffle oil (if using), and toss it all together. Add more sauce on top (reserving about 2 cups for passing tableside). Top with more grated cheese and pass the rest at the table. Serve at once.