Mushrooms are the star in this decadent pasta dish. The recipes works great with wild mushrooms, or cremini and shiitakes if wild mushrooms are unavailable
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds assorted mushrooms
- 1 (1-pound) box pasta (rigatoni, campanelle, or other large pastas work best)
- ½ stick butter
- ½ large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4–6 sprigs thyme
- ½ cup sherry (either dry or cream works)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup cream
- 1 cup parmesan, grated or shaved
- 1 small pinch nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Fill a large stockpot with water and place on high heat. Salt water generously until it is almost as salty as the ocean. Bring to a boil.
While stockpot is heating, slice mushrooms or tear them into bite-sized pieces. Heat butter in large pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until translucent, being careful not to burn the edges of the onion. Add mushrooms and cook for 5–10 minutes. Add sherry and cook until fully absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add chicken stock and reduce by about two-thirds. Reduce temperature to low and add cream and parmesan. Grate nutmeg over a Microplane in just 3 or 4 swipes.
Leave sauce on low heat and add pasta to the boiling stockpot. After 6 minutes, remove a piece of pasta to test doneness. Do this every minute until pasta is perfectly al dente. It should have a bit of bite to it.
Once pasta is cooked, reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain the rest into a colander. Add pasta to the mushroom and cream and stir to coat. Add reserved pasta water if sauce needs to be thinned out. If not, you may now discard the pasta water.
Transfer to desired pasta dish and serve
