Roasted Wild Mushrooms with Chili Oil and Vegan Pesto Cream Sauce
[Vegan]

To Prep:

1. Soak the pine nuts to make the cream sauce – add them into a bowl with hot water to cover by 2 inches. Set aside to soften at least 45 minutes (up to 4 hours.)

To Make the Mushrooms:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F degrees.
2. Trim the wild and cremini mushrooms and cut away any ends and long stems.
3. Cut them into similar sizes. Feel free to leave Shiitakes whole and dice the King Trumpets, Maitake & Golden Oysters, and the Cremini Mushrooms.
4. Using a damp paper towel, wipe off any dirt.
5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Lay out the mushrooms so they are not touching and brush with 2 tablespoons of Chili Oil, using a pastry brush. Sprinkle the tops with sea salt, to taste.
7. Roast until the mushrooms are nicely browned and crispy around the edges  – approximately 15  minutes (this depends on the size of the mushrooms.) You will notice they will shrink some. Set aside.

To Make the Pine Nut Pesto Vegan Cream Sauce:

1. Drain soaked pine nuts and add them into a blender with 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind, 6 tablespoons of filtered water, and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt.
2. Blend from low to high speed, and whirl for 1 minute until smooth; scrape down and whirl for another minute until very smooth.
3. Add the nutritional yeast, pesto, and olive oil – whirl until smooth.
4. Scrape into a bowl to hold. Set aside.

To Assemble the Dish:

1. Cook the pasta and drain – reserving 2 tablespoons of pasta water.
2. Add pasta to a skillet with the water and Pine Nut Pesto Sauce.
3. Heat over low heat to warm through.
4. Add mushrooms and toss all together.
5. Alternately, you can heat the mushrooms until warmed through and place on top of the pasta and sauce.
6. Garnish liberally with fresh basil leaves.
7. Serve in a large bowl or individual bowls.