Roasted Mushrooms with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

Why this recipe works:

For a rich, woodsy side dish, we combine straightforward cremini with meaty, smoky shiitakes. To ensure that the mushrooms are evenly seasoned and stay moist during roasting, we start by brining them in a saltwater solution. We then roast them in the oven for about an hour until they are deeply browned. Finally, we coat the mushrooms in melted butter and lemon juice before adding flavorful mix-ins: Parmesan, parsley, and pine nuts.

Serves 4

Cremini mushrooms, also called Baby Bella, vary in diameter. Quarter large (more than 2 inches) mushrooms, halve medium (1 to 2 inches) ones, and leave small (under 1 inch) ones whole.

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds cremini mushrooms, trimmed and left whole if small, halved if medium, or quartered if large
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps larger than 3 inches halved
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Dissolve 5 teaspoons salt in 2 quarts room-temperature water in large container. Add cremini mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms to brine, cover with plate or bowl to submerge, and let stand for 10 minutes.
   2. Drain mushrooms in colander and pat dry with paper towels. Spread mushrooms evenly on rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and toss to coat. Roast until liquid from mushrooms has completely evaporated, 35 to 45 minutes.
   3. Remove sheet from oven (be careful of escaping steam when opening oven) and, using thin metal spatula, carefully stir mushrooms. Return to oven and continue to roast until mushrooms are deeply browned, 5 to 10 minutes longer.
   4. Combine melted butter and lemon juice in large bowl. Add mushrooms and toss to coat. Add Parmesan, pine nuts, and parsley and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste; serve immediately.