The amazing taste of this dish will blow you away and you will be surprised just how simple it is to make.The hardest part of making this dish is going to your grocery store, Buying fresh pasta, and hedgehog mushrooms. Come dinner time, all you have to do is boil the noodles and saute the mushrooms
I made this dish with hedgehog mushrooms, which have a rich and buttery taste and are a little less pricey than shiitake mushrooms and have a later season.
I can tell you that it isn't a question of fresh or dried pasta being better. They are just different, and each goes best with a certain sauces. Fresh pasta is especially well suites to cream sauces, and you can think of a big dollop of fresh ricotta as the world's simplest cream sauce.
If you can't find the time to make your own pasta at home you should have no problem finding fresh pasta at most farmer's markets, or in the refrigerator section of a good grocer. The quality of the grocery store stuff varies, so you might have to experiment to find a brand you like.
Fettucini with Hedgehog Mushrooms
- 1 pound fresh fettucini noodles
- 1 pound mushrooms (hedgehog, chanterelle, shiitake, king oyster… probably not standard white buttons)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- zest of one lemon, Meyer if possible
- sea salt
- ground black pepper
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil.
- Clean, trim and slice the mushrooms. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Saute the mushrooms until tender and browning, about 8 minutes. During the saute you may need to adjust the heat so that the butter isn't burning.
- Boil the pasta, either according to package directions or until it is al dente. Fresh pasta doesn't take as long as dried, usually just a few minutes. Taste a bite frequently, and stop the moment it is done.
- Drain the pasta and toss with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
- To serve, divide the pasta among 4 bowls and top with the mushrooms, lemon zest, more salt, and a good grind of black pepper.
