Penne with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (10 1/2-ounce) can beef consommé
• 1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups hot cooked penne rigate (8 ounces uncooked pasta)
• Flat-leaf parsley sprigs (optional)

Preparation

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine; cook 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in thyme, pepper, and consommé. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 1 cup (about 3 minutes). Strain though a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Keep consommé mixture warm.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, and sauté 5 minutes. Add reserved consommé mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Combine water and cornstarch. Add cornstarch mixture and salt to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute. Combine sauce and pasta, tossing to coat. Garnish with parsley, if desired.