Traditionally, mushrooms work well with either garlic, cream, thyme, Marsala – or even a combination of the four. This time, let me suggest a slightly more unusual pairing: mushrooms and mint. Despite being skeptic myself at first, I have to say this idea, as proposed in the latest issue of the La Cucina Italiana food magazine, is one to keep. The mint, with its sharp and pungent flavour and smell, perfectly complements and offsets the darker and more earthy tones of the mushrooms. The Parmesan flakes and the walnuts, casually scattered on top, add both texture and little pockets of saltiness and roundness.
The original recipe asked for porcini mushrooms. Unfortunately, I haven’t managed to come across fresh porcini mushrooms anywhere so far, so had to use chestnut ones instead, which worked just as well. Enjoy this dish on a cold winter day as pure and blissful comfort food.
Ingredients
- 500g chestnut mushrooms
- 250g tagliatelle pasta (fresh or dried)
- 6 walnut halves
- 2 shallots
- about 70g Parmesan, finely grated
- 1 lemon, zest of
- 10 leaves of mint
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
Method
- Start by cleaning the mushrooms and slicing them fairly finely. Set aside. Finely chop the walnut halves, then set aside. Finely chop the shallots and add to a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Finely chop the mint leaves, then mix with the lemon zest and set aside.
- Sautée the shallots over a medium heat for a couple of minutes, until slightly golden and translucent, then add the mushroom slices and cook down for a good 7 minutes.
- In the meantime, put a large pan of salted boiling water over high heat and throw in the tagliatelle. Cook them according to the packet instructions (I love them al dente and I think they work better this way for this recipe).
- Once the mushrooms have cooked down and they have yielded their water, increase the heat under the pan and let that boil off. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then add the mint and lemon zest mixture. Cook for exactly one minute, then remove from the heat.
- Sprinkle the grated Parmesan over the bottom of another non-stick frying pan (I have indicated 70g above, but the quantity might vary according to what size pan you use), then set that over a medium heat and let it melt to a golden slab. Remove from the heat after a couple of minutes or you will burn the cheese. Let it cool in the pan, then use a rubber spatula to remove it from the pan and break it into shards.
- Once the pasta is cooked as you like it, drain it and toss the tagliatelle in the pan with the mushroom sauce. Tumble it onto a serving dish and sprinkle with the walnuts and the Parmesan shards. Serve immediately.
Baking with Attitude 