Winter Solstice Mushroom Pasta

Serves 4

• 1 pound squid ink pasta
• 1 head black garlic
• Double handful of dried black trumpet mushrooms, or ½ pound fresh
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds (optional)
• Kosher salt
• Juice of a lemon

1. Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 1-2 cups of water hot from the tap. Cover and let soak for 1-4 hours.
2. Toast the black sesame and cumin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until you can smell them and the first few seeds begin to pop. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Get a large pot of salty water hot.
4. When the mushrooms are ready, strain them off and reserve the liquid. Pour the liquid through cheesecloth to remove any grit and then pour it into the pan you toasted the sesame and cumin in (without the seeds!) and set it to a boil. You want to reduce it by half.
5. Pick over the mushrooms and rinse if needed. Black trumpet mushrooms are notoriously gritty, and you want them as clean as possible. Pat dry and set on paper towels.
6. When the mushroom water has boiled down by half, take it off the heat.
7. Start boiling your pasta.
8. In a food processor, put the peeled cloves from the head of black garlic, a pinch of salt, about 1 teaspoon of shallot, half the cumin and sesame seeds, and a splash of the mushroom water. Buzz to combine. Add about a teaspoon of lemon juice. Add more mushroom water as needed to make a sauce with the consistency of cream, only black. Taste for salt and lemon juice and add if needed.
9. Get a large sauté pan hot over medium-high heat. Pat the mushrooms dry again and add them to the pan. Shake it and toss constantly as the mushrooms lose their water. They should squeak a little. When they begin to lose their water, add the olive oil and the shallots and sauté until the shallots just begin to brown.
10. Add the garlic sauce, bring it to a simmer and turn off the heat.
11. When the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce and turn on the heat to medium. Toss to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice if needed.
12. Serve at once, with the remaining cumin and sesame seeds on top.