Mushroom Pasta

Mushroom Pasta

 

This is a simple enough dish to enjoy as a family.

 and also perfect for vegetarians. Choose a pasta that is your favourite, preferably one with a few ridges to catch the sauce.

Pasta, wild mushrooms, herbs, cheese and lettuce.

Serves 6

1 kg/ 2.2 lb melange of wild mushrooms

butter

olive oil

2 finely chopped baby leeks ~ optional

handful of fresh herbs~ chives, basil, mint, parsley, 

salt~pepper~nutmeg

splash of sherry

Hard cheese like parmesan, pecorino, gruyere, mature cheddar

300 g/ 10 oz pasta, boiled in salted water with a teaspoon of olive oil

In a pan, heat 2 tbsp each of salted butter and olive oil. Take the wild mushrooms and throw them in to sauté. If adding finely chopped leeks or green onions, add them in now. Let it just saute until soft. Add a splash of sherry and throw in a handful of herbs.

Toss in the cooked pasta and sprinkle generously with the hard cheese of your choice, like parmesan, cheddar, pecorino, or gruyere. Keep tossing and serve immediately with greens like lamb's lettuce or watercress. 

 

Tips 

 

It is important to choose the flavours you enjoy. Pasta is versatile. Use fresh pasta if available. Any ridged pasta works best for this recipe, like penne and rigatoni, or even campanelle.  

 

Pick fresh herbs that are in season and your favourite flavours. Start with less and add until you find it well balanced to suit your palate. 

 

Nutmeg has a sweeter tone than black pepper, while white pepper gives heat to the plate. Mixed peppercorn is my personal favourite. Freshly grated pepper is delicious.

 

Baby leeks and green onions are wonderful in this pasta. 

 

Cheese is a crucial part of this dish. Grating it over the pot while the food is still warm is best. 

If you don't like sherry, add a splash of cream or milk.

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.