Step 1: Mise en place. Soak the mushrooms in 2 cups of barely warm water for at least 30 minutes. Lift the mushrooms out of the water and squeeze them, getting as much water as out as possible. Rinse the mushrooms in fresh water. Pat them dry, chop coarsely if necessary and set them aside. Filter the water in a strainer lined with cheese cloth or a paper towel and set aside.

Step 2: Put the shallots in a sauce pan together with all of the butter and oil and turn on the heat to medium. Cook and stir the shallots until they turn a pale gold. Add the strips of pancetta and stir and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.

Step 3: Add the cut-up tomatoes with their juice, the reconstituted mushrooms, the strained liquid from the mushroom soak, salt, and several grindings of pepper. Adjust the heat so the sauce bubbles at a gentle, but steady simmer. Cook in the uncovered pan for about 40 minutes, until the fat and tomatoes separate.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of shallot chopped fine
• 2½ tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 ounces of pancetta or prosciutto cut into ¼-inch wide strips
• 1½ cups fresh ripe tomatoes peeled and chopped.
• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• Filtered water from mushroom soak
• Salt
• Black pepper ground fresh from the mill
• 1 pound pasta, preferably penne
• Fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese for the table

Step 4: Add the pasta to the sauce, toss and serve with the freshly grated Parmesan at the table.