Pasta with Wild Mushroom Zinfandel Sauce

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 small yellow onions chopped
1 1/2 pounds shiitake or other wild mushroom
1 cup red wine (zinfandel)
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon heavy soy sauce
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon Asian chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 ounces bow tie or other pasta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped parsley

Prepare garlic.  Prepare onions.  Trim mushrooms and cut into 1/4 inch-wide pieces.  In a small bowl, combine wine, stock, oyster sauce, soy, tomato paste, chili sauce, sugar, and thyme.

Place a 12 inch saute pan that is not cast iron or aluminum over medium heat add half the butter, and when melted, the onion.  Saute onions until they become golden, about 15 minutes.  Then add the remaining butter, the garlic, and mushrooms.  Cook mushrooms until they soften, expel all their moisture eventually become densely textured, about 15 minutes.

Add wine sauce, bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook until mushrooms begin to show above the sauce, about six minutes.  Combine the starch with an equal amount of cold water.  Stir in enough cornstarch mixture into the sauce to lightly thicken it.  Cool the sauce.

Cook the pasta in a large amount of salted water.  When cooked, drain, rinse with cold water, drain again, and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil.

In a saute pan, preheat the sauce, at the pasta and cook until piping hot.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Transfer to dinner plates.  Top with cheese and herbs.