I am SO excited to share this week's recipe with you courtesy of Cooks Illustrated. Yes, I know I can sound like a broken record, but after their game-changing "hard boiled" egg solution I've been digging through the magazines looking for other gems. And the recipe for roasted mushrooms is absolutely going to be on a regular rotation in my kitchen.

The taste is so good I wanted to cry...and I'm barely kidding.

Though the hands-on time for this recipe is short, the entire process takes an hour and a half to pull together, so this isn't a quick side. Plan accordingly.

This is what you need:

Salt & Pepper
2- 2 1/2 lbs assorted mushrooms*
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp lemon juice
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
2 Tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

*NOTE: Use meaty mushrooms NOT button or white mushrooms which are too whimpy. The CI recipe recommends an assortment of cremini and shiitake mushrooms, but I just grabbed what my grocery store had on hand. I also purchased a little less than the quantity above and adjusted all of the other ingredients by taste. In other words, the pictures may not match what you see above. Don't let that throw you!

Begin by stemming the mushrooms and if they are large cutting them in half or quarters so they will roast at the same speed. If they are small, you can leave them whole.

Next, put the oven rack in the lowest position and preheat the oven to a scorching 450 degrees. Then in a large container or pan add 5 teaspoons salt in 2 quarts room-temperature water.Stir to dissolve the salt and then add the mushrooms. You'll notice the mushrooms float. This is a bad thing because you want them to absorb the salt from the water, so you need to submerge them. I put a couple of plates on top to do the work. Allow them to sit in the brine for 10 minutes.Drain and dry off the mushrooms then spread them onto a baking sheet and toss with olive oil. Make sure they are in a single layer on the pan. Roast until the moisture is absorbed, about 35-40 minutes for a full recipe (mine took less time with fewer mushrooms). Then stir and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

During the final few minutes of cooking combine the melted butter and lemon juice in a large bowl.Toss the mushrooms in the mixture and after they are coated add the Parmesan, pine nuts, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.Bring your Kleenex. You'll want to cry.

So crazy good.

Thanks CI! You did it again.

Best Roasted Mushrooms