Tortiglioni with Portobello Mushrooms and Prosciutto

Tortiglioni is a spirally formed tubular pasta, similar to rigatoni but narrower in width with its ridges spiraling around the tube. I find that the pasta's thicker walls hold up even better than rigatoni, especially for baked pasta dishes. The pasta also works well with thick meaty sauces, the perfect match for the portobello and prosciutto tomato sauce I had in mind. Speaking of the sauce, the whole idea came about when I remembered the prosciutto I had frozen, which by the way, was my attempt  to save it before its expiry date ran out. You might not want to use thawed prosciutto that has been frozen as part of your antipasto, but cooked in a basic tomato sauce no one will be the wiser.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Rigatoni pasta (250 grams)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 garlic finely chopped
1/2 carrot finely chopped
1 small celery stalk finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry red wine
14 oz San Marzano tomatoes
2 portobello mushrooms
salt
1/4 lb. Parma prosciutto
grated parmesan cheese (if desired)

While the salted water is boiling for the pasta which will take at least 12 minutes to cook, start preparing the sauce. 
In a sauce pan on medium high heat, heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the finely chopped carrot and celery and continue cooking  for 2-3 minutes until soft. Season the vegetables with salt, being careful not to over season as the prosciutto will tend to be salty.


Meanwhile, with a damp cloth clean the tops of the mushrooms. Turn the mushrooms over and using a spoon gently remove the gills.Cut into 1/4 inch slices.




Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the prosciutto pieces. Continue cooking for a minute or two

Stir in  the tomato pasta and the wine. Continue cooking to allow the flavours to infuse and wine to reduce, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for at least 10-15 minutes

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Toss in the drained cooked pasta
Grate fresh parmesan cheese, if desired and serve.