Mushroom Pancetta Pasta

Mushroom Pancetta Pasta

It’s FUN-ghi Friday! 

 

When it’s been one of those days you’ve been busy, racing endlessly against time, preparing this quick and easy Mushroom Pancetta Pasta is a great way to feel somewhat accomplished!  What’s more, you’re sure to be a hit amongst your loved ones, who’ll thank you for this soul-warming winter dish (though I make this at any time of the year).  

   

Today happened to be one of those days, and by the end of it, I found myself desperately racking my brain for quick dinner ideas, as my three hungry kids kept asking when they would be able to eat!

 

Thankfully I made a trip to Costco yesterday and managed to find a large box of beautiful brown mushrooms that I decided to use for this delectable creamy pasta sauce!  

 

I should mention that I’m a shroom fanatic! My ultimate dream is to one day travel back to France in autumn with my husband and children and go mushroom foraging with an experienced mycophile - a mushroom enthusiast.  

 

The variety and exquisite flavours of mushrooms in France are endless - some of my favorites being: 1) trompettes de la mort (trumpets of death), 2) girolles (chanterelles), 3) cèpes (porcini mushrooms) and of course my all-time favorite 4) TRUFFES (truffles) to name a few. 

 

Japan (where I live) does have its fair share of mushrooms - such as shiitake, shimeji, maitake and enoki to name a few.  However, I always find they are less dominant in terms of flavor (aside from dried shiitake and matsutake) compared to European varieties and seem rather to add more texture to a meal – this is purely my opinion of course.    

 

Therefore, the closest fresh mushrooms we can find here that offer a more generous amount of flavor to a dish, are the brown mushrooms or white Paris mushrooms. 

 

Combine the earthy notes of these mushrooms with the spiced Pancetta and cream - and you have yourself the ultimate comfort meal!  Its quick to prepare and throw all together, offering a speedy yet hearty meal!

 

So let’s get cooking!

RECIPE (servings 5 people)

 

PASTA

400 gms pasta (of choice – I went with casarecce)

4 liters water

3 tbsp salt

 

SAUCE

100-120 gms pancetta (rind removed and sliced - can be omitted for vegetarians)

½ medium onion (finely chopped)

500 gms brown mushrooms (sliced)

200 ml fresh cream

20 gms parmigiano cheese (grated)

120 ml (½ cup) pasta water

Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Additional grated parmigiano to taste

METHOD

1)    Prepare the pasta water: add the salt to the water in a large pot and bring to a boil. 

2)    Heat a medium sized pan over medium heat.  Once hot, add sliced pancetta and sauté until cooked through.

3)   The pancetta will release quite a lot of oil, so additional oil is not required. Add the   chopped onion to the pancetta and continue to cook over low-medium heat until it becomes translucent.  

4)   Then add the sliced mushrooms and stir continuously until softened.

5)   Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling salted water and cook for the duration mentioned on the packaging – it should be al dente.

6)  Once softened, add fresh cream (continuing to cook over low-medium heat), until thickened.

7)  Strain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water for the sauce.

8)  Pour the reserved hot pasta water into the sauce, add the pasta, the grated parmigiano cheese and stir well.

9)   Continue to stir and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

10)  Plate, top with additional grated parmigiano and serve immediately.

 

Buon Appetito! 

Yours gastronomically, 

Pia

PS. you can follow us on Instagram and Pinterest