This mushroom pasta is so perfect for summer. For one, It’s perfectly balanced; the mushrooms offer a satisfyingly meaty texture, you get loads of flavour (umami) from the few choice ingredients and a touch of creaminess from the sauce that coats and clings to every noodle. It’s totally addictive and scores every time! Oh, and all this is achieved in under 30 minutes.
All of the flavour in this recipe is created by concentrating the flavours of the mushrooms by sautéing them with oil and butter, adding lots of French shallots and garlic, a splash of red wine & tomato paste. When that’s all cooked down and intensely flavourful, here enters the pasta water, AKA, liquid gold! Now you have a light but very flavorful sauce. Throw in the pasta and toss until fully coated. Then for creaminess and body, you add a dollop of Garlic and Herb Boursin or if I want to enhance the mushroom flavour, you can go for the Truffle & Sea Salt one. I used to make this with Philadelphia cream cheese and it was great so if that’s whatcha got, you can definitely use it!
As for the mushrooms, I have come to the conclusion that shiitakes work best for mushroom pastas due to their satisfyingly meaty texture and lower water content and they’re pretty easy to find.
I call for fresh red chilis in this recipe and I must insist that you use fresh over dry. It’s a game-changer! Dried red pepper flakes are best utilized to stew, flavouring more abundant sauces, like your Sunday tomato sauce but with a dish like this, fresh chilis, herbs and olive oil really have a chance to shine and provide a welcomed contrast to the earthiness of the mushrooms.
I have been making versions of this recipe, over the years and now I think I have the perfect one! How do I know? I mean, I know it’s delicious but my husband who never wants pasta when given the choice, Loves it like never before!! (Notice the capital L?) I mean he not only enjoyed it freshly made and piping hot , he was eating out of the pot after dinner and cold from the fridge for the following two days and when he heard I was making it again, he was excited for dinner!
I hope you love it too and I’m so happy to finally be sharing it with you!
Don’t forget to check out my Instagram for the videos and reel about this recipe and more!
Andre’s Favourite Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 230 g dried pasta (8oz) See note
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 French shallots (sometimes called dry shallots) minced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 handfuls Shiitake mushrooms, caps sliced thick, stems discarded or 8oz
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup red wine
- 2 heaping tablespoons Boursin cheese such as Garlic and Fine herbs Truffle or sub with Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or a mix of parm and pecorino
- ½ cup packed parsley
- 1/2 fresh red chilies minced
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Instructions
- In boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water then drain the pasta.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive and butter over medium-high heat, add the shallots and garlic and cook, tossing regularly for 2 to 3 minutes (adjust heat so that the garlic doesn’t burn).
- Add all the mushrooms and sauté for a couple of minutes. Once cooked down a little and have taken on some colour, season with a good pinch of kosher salt, and the rosemary. Combine and cook until the rosemary is fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste and combine with the mushrooms. When the paste has darkened slightly, add wine and about ½ cup of the pasta water to start, reserving the rest for later.Cook over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to combine. Add your Boursin and combine with the pasta mixture until fully coated. Add a little more of the pasta water as needed so that everything is coated and glossy.
- Sprinkle on a generous amount of Parmigiano cheese (or Parm/Pecorino mix)
- Sprinkle with parsley, minced red pepper, fresh cracked pepper and a ribbon of fresh olive oil
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Abissini are short ridged curls and they may be my number 1 choice. The fresh hot red pepper is key here but if you don’t have any you can sub with dry red pepper flakes. This recipe can be easily doubled. This is suitable for 2-3 people. It can serve 4 smaller portions.
