Funghi alla Gilda

Funghi alla Gilda
Gilda used to prepare button mushrooms in a unique Italian way – she prepared this dish as a contorno (side) to accompany meat, chicken, or even fish. They were a bit spicy – they had a kick to them because of the added peperoncini piccante tritato (red pepper flakes). They were delicious – never any leftovers, and by the way, if you’re sensitive to heat, just nuke the two pepper items from this recipe.
Ingredients:
1 lb of cleaned white button mushrooms, stems separated from caps (or use small porcini mushrooms and do the same to them)
6-7 toes of garlic cut in small chunks
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded, peeled, and cut up
1½ c of tomato sauce (home-made or commercial)
½ t dried oregano (you can use fresh – 3 sprigs, leaves removed and chopped up)
2 t dried basil (you can use fresh – 7 basil leaves, chopped up)
2 t of dried parsley (you can use fresh – a handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped)
2 t sugar or clover honey
Sea salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste (optional)
Peperoncini piccante tritato for the kick (optional)
Preparation:
Heat up olive oil with herbs in a saucepan on medium-high flame. When hot, add the onion and garlic, and sweat them with the lid on for a couple of minutes. Remove lid and stir. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms (both stems and caps), lower flame to medium and let them slowly cook until reduced in size and the onions are soft, about 10-12 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, and sugar or honey. Then add your salt, [pepper], and [peperoncini piccante tritato] to taste. Let simmer on low flame for about 30 minutes, with the lid halfway on the pot to prevent condensation and splattering. Remove from fire and let sit for about an hour or so for the flavors to develop through and through, leaving the lid halfway on the pot.
Warm up before serving, taste again for salt and spices, and serve. Have some crusty Italian bread on hand for dunking purposes.
Note: Unlike humans, this dish agrees with age – it tastes better the next day and then the next in the unlikely event you still have leftovers.