Pappardelle ai Funghi

Papardelle ai funghi

There’s something I love about a nice wide pasta shape like papardelle with a creamy mushroom sauce. It’s been my go-to for years, even though I bought my fresh or dried pasta, this was the sauce I made.

It’s also a great (and forgiving) start when making your own fresh pasta, with or without a machine. Simply line up the rolled out sheet of pasta & cut into thick strips.

When rolling out your fresh pasta you can get creative with forming simple Farfalle (butterfly shapes) with the beetroot or spinach pasta. You can even take a simple square of pasta and roll it around a dowel or thick straw to make penne. (Penne & pesto are a great match also.)

1 pound fresh pappardelle
1 pound mixed mushrooms (such as porcini, cremini, oyster, shiitake or maitake), stems removed & sliced
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons thyme, freshly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Salt & freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, for serving

Directions

In a 12-14-inch sauté pan, heat the extra virgin olive oil over high heat until it is smoking. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook them over high heat for 5 minutes, until the onions are a light golden brown. Add the chopped mushrooms, and continue cooking until they have given up most of their water, about 9-10 minutes. Add the wine, thyme, salt, and pepper, to taste, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook the sauce for 5 more minutes, until the mixture is of a ragù consistency.

Bring about 6 liters of water to a boil, and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Drop the pasta in the pot, and cook it until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving the cooking water, and add the pasta to the ragù.

Add the pasta to the pan with the mushroom ragù, and toss. Add the lemon juice and parsley, and toss over high heat for 1 minute to coat the pappardelle evenly, adding a ladleful of pasta water if needed.

Check the seasoning for salt and pepper, and adjust, if necessary. Divide the pasta evenly among four warmed pasta bowls, top each dish with the freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!