Pappardelle with Mushrooms

Name: Pappardelle with Mushrooms
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 400 g (14 oz) dried egg pappardelle, or fresh from Fresh Egg Pasta; 700 g (1½ lb) mixed mushrooms, chestnut, oyster, shiitake; torn or sliced thick; 4 tbsp olive oil, divided; 40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter; 2 shallots, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 tbsp thyme leaves; 80 ml (⅓ cup) dry white wine or Marsala; 150 ml (⅔ cup) heavy cream, or crème fraîche; 50 g (1¾ oz) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, plus extra; or a vegetarian hard cheese (traditional Parmesan uses animal rennet); 15 g (½ cup) flat-leaf parsley, chopped; fine sea salt and black pepper, about 4 g (¾ tsp) salt for the mushrooms, plus 40 g (2 tbsp) for the pasta water

Wide ribbons, deeply browned mushrooms, garlic, thyme and a splash of cream

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 30 min
Total: 30 min
Level: Easy

This is a weeknight pasta that tastes like autumn. The key is browning the mushrooms hard in a hot pan, in batches, so they turn meaty and golden instead of gray and watery.

Ingredients

400 gdried egg pappardelle (14 oz)or fresh from Fresh Egg Pasta
700 gmixed mushrooms (1½ lb)chestnut, oyster, shiitake; torn or sliced thick
4 tbspolive oildivided
40 gunsalted butter (3 tbsp)
2shallotsfinely chopped
3 clovesgarlicfinely chopped
1 tbspthyme leaves
80 mldry white wine or Marsala (⅓ cup)
150 mlheavy cream (⅔ cup)or crème fraîche
50 gParmigiano Reggiano (1¾ oz)grated, plus extra; or a vegetarian hard cheese (traditional Parmesan uses animal rennet)
15 gflat-leaf parsley (½ cup)chopped
fine sea salt and black pepperabout 4 g (¾ tsp) salt for the mushrooms, plus 40 g (2 tbsp) for the pasta water

Diet: Vegetarian
Allergens: gluten, egg, milk, sulphites
Origin: Italy (inspired)
Season: Autumn, Winter

Method

Bring 4 L (4 qt) water to a boil with 40 g (2 tbsp) salt.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in your largest frying pan over high heat until shimmering. Add half the mushrooms in a single layer and leave them alone for 3 minutes until golden underneath. Toss and cook until browned all over, 3 minutes more. Season with salt and tip out. Repeat with the remaining oil and mushrooms. 12 min
Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter, shallots, garlic and thyme and cook until soft, 2 minutes. Return all the mushrooms. 2 min
Pour in the wine and let it bubble away, 1 minute. Add the cream and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Season with pepper. 3 min
Cook the pappardelle until just al dente (fresh pasta takes 2–3 minutes). 6 min
Lift the pasta into the sauce with 100 ml (⅓ cup) pasta water. Toss over medium heat with the Parmigiano until glossy. Add the parsley and serve with more cheese.

Why it works

Mushrooms are about 90% water. In a crowded pan that water pools and they boil; in a hot pan with room to spare it evaporates fast and the surface browns (the Maillard reaction), creating the deep savory flavor. Salt draws out water, so add it only after they have browned.

Common mistakes

Crowding the pan: brown in batches.
Salting at the start: the mushrooms release water and stew.

Variations

Without cream: Skip the cream; use 150 ml Chicken Stock or pasta water and an extra 20 g butter.
Porcini boost: Soak 10 g dried porcini, chop and add with the shallots, using the strained soaking liquid instead of some of the pasta water.