01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Cultivated mushrooms are not only sliced in salads and cooked in sauces, they can even be the main ingredient of a dish.

That's the point made and confirmed with a selection of recipes in Everyday Food magazine's December issue. Among the recipes is this mushroom ragout with bacon, tossed with pasta to make a tasty, low-fat entree.

The cremini and white mushrooms give the versatile sauce a mellow, woodsy flavor. Other things you can do with the sauce are to use it over polenta; as a sauce for cooked chicken breasts; with toast; as a pizza topping; with scrambled eggs, or stirred into cooked rice or risotto.

The sauce can be made a day or two ahead (keep bacon separate), and refrigerated. Gently reheat as the pasta boils; add bacon to sauce during the last few minutes of heating.

MUSHROOM RAGOUT WITH PASTA

4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

1 small onion, finely chopped

Two 10-ounce packages cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

Two 10-ounce packages white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

3/4 pound spaghetti

Shaved Parmesan, for garnish (optional)

In a large 5-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid (that will be used later), cook the bacon over medium heat, uncovered, stirring until crispy, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel to drain. Set aside.

Add onion; stir until golden, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms; cover. Cook until juices have evaporated, about 20 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, thyme and 2 cups water until combined; cover. Cook until sauce has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in parsley and vinegar. Add bacon, reserving some for garnish, if desired.

Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot.

To serve, toss pasta with ragout. Garnish with reserved bacon and shaved Parmesan, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.