$4 Spaghetti That's Almost as Good as $24 Spaghetti

• total time: 3 hours

Ingredients

4 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced

3/4 cup peeled garlic cloves (4 ounces, from about 4 heads)

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Two 28-ounce cans peeled Italian tomatoes with their juices

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 pound spaghetti

1/4 cup torn basil leaves

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

Directions

In a saucepan, bring the mushrooms and 3 cups of water to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the broth is reduced to 1 cup, 1 hour. Strain and discard the mushrooms.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the garlic and olive oil to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until the garlic is very tender and golden, about 30 minutes.

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven, bring the tomatoes and the garlic and oil to a boil. Add the mushroom broth and, using an immersion blender, puree the sauce until smooth. Bring the sauce back to a boil, then simmer over moderately low heat until thickened, about 1 hour. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain the spaghetti and return to the pot. Add 2 cups of the sauce and cook, tossing, for 1 minute. Transfer the spaghetti to bowls, top with the basil and serve with grated cheese.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4 to 6 servings plus 4 c
• Calories: 2445 kcal
• Total Fat: 154 g
• Saturated Fat: 22 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 4 mg
• Sodium: 2544 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 238 g
• Dietary Fiber: 42 g
• Total Sugars: 49 g
• Protein: 48 g