Wild-Mushroom Pasta

A luxurious pasta dish combining dried and fresh wild mushrooms with egg fettuccine, enhanced with fresh herbs and bright lemon zest. This restaurant-quality meal features a medley of mushrooms including morels, porcini, cremini, oyster, and chanterelles.

4 servings
35 min

Ingredients

  • oz dried morel or porcini mushrooms
  • cups water
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ½ lb fresh cremini mushrooms
  • ¾ lb mixed fresh wild mushrooms
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ lb dried egg fettuccine
  • ¼ cup chives
  • 2 tablespoons parsley
  • teaspoons lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
  • to taste Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Soak dried mushrooms in boiling-hot water in a bowl until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain in a paper-towel-lined sieve set over a bowl and reserve soaking liquid, then rinse soaked mushrooms. Pat dry and finely chop.

    20 min

  2. 2.

    Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté fresh mushrooms with garlic, salt, and pepper, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms are browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in chopped soaked mushrooms and reserved mushroom-soaking liquid and simmer 1 minute, then remove from heat.

    8 min

  3. 3.

    Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 5 minutes. Ladle out and reserve 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta in a colander, then add it to mushrooms in skillet. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook over moderately high heat, tossing and adding some pasta-cooking liquid if necessary to lightly coat, 1 minute. Add chives, parsley, lemon zest, and juice, then toss well. Serve immediately with cheese and pepper to taste.

    7 min