Fresh Porcini Mushroom Fettuccine in a White Wine Sauce
“Fresh, wild porcinis from the Mendocino, CA, area are in season now. Blink and they’ll be gone, so get them while you can! This dish is simple to put together and using the pasta-cooking water with the mushroom and shallot mixture makes for a creamy, simple sauce that brings the whole dish together. Enjoy!” – Carmelo Sigona
Serves 2 to 4.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. Rummo Fettuccine Egg Noodles
- 2 Tbsp Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil, such as Lentrisca
- 2 to 3 large shallots (about 3/4 cup chopped)
- 12 to 14 oz. fresh porcini mushrooms
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup of white wine, such as a Pinot Grigio
- 2 Tbsp heavy cream
- Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Optional: Chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Directions: Set a large pot of salted water on the stove to bring to a boil. FYI, The Rummo egg noodles cook in just 3 minutes, so if you’re using that brand, wait until the mushrooms are just about done before starting the pasta.
Meanwhile, clean and prepare the porcinis: Trim the tough or woody bases of the mushrooms then use a kitchen towel to brush or gently rub off any remaining dirt from the stalks and caps. Thinly slice them lengthwise across the grain into strips.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until they’ve begun to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season well with salt and pepper; cook about 7 to 10 minutes, gently stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released and reabsorbed their liquid. Remove the mushrooms and shallots from the skillet, leaving the nice brown bits on the bottom of the skillet.
To the same skillet, over medium heat, add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a flat-edged wooden spoon. Allow wine to reduce by half, then add the cream and the mushrooms. Allow the mixture to cook and reduce a couple minutes more.
Meanwhile, prepare the pasta according to package directions. Just before it’s done cooking, scoop out at least 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside. (Chef’s tip: reserve extra pasta-cooking water in the fridge for reheating pasta dishes).
Use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta from the water directly into the skillet with the mushrooms. Adding the pasta this way will allow for the pasta water that’s on the noodles to make a sauce in the skillet. Toss to incorporate. If you feel it should have more sauce, add a couple tablespoons of the pasta cooking water and stir to incorporate.
Transfer to individual serving plates and finish with some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.
