Creamy mushroom pasta sauce
Tagliatelle panna e porcini
Creamy mushroom pasta sauce is a classic. So much so that several Italian regions claim it as their signature dish. I have seen it listed as a specialty from Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany and the cream confirms that it originates in the dairy part of Italy. There are also small variations. Some like to add pancetta or ham to their mushroom pasta sauce. Others go for all kinds of edible mushrooms and not just porcini. And then there are those who prefer it ‘paglia e fieno’ – straw and hay – with a mixture of green and yellow tagliatelle.
It is basically the same dish and the mushroom pasta sauce always turns out rich and good in the end.
Ingredients
250 g porcini or fresh white mushrooms
100 g cured ham (pancetta or prosciutto crudo)
½ lemon (juice)
250 ml double cream
1 dl vegetable stock
1 clove of garlic
Butter, salt, pepper,
Fresh basil
Preparation
Clean the mushrooms and cut off the bottoms.
Slice ham and mushrooms
Sprinkle the sliced mushrooms with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.
Fry the mushrooms in butter until the liquid evaporates.
Turn down the heat and let the mushrooms simmer with the sliced ham.
Use a different frying pan to fry the peeled and sliced garlic in butter. Make sure it doesn’t burn.
Pour cream and vegetable stock over the garlic and cook the sauce until thick and creamy
Balance the creamy sauce with salt, pepper and lemon juice before pouring it over mushrooms and ham.
Mushroom pasta sauce is best when served with fresh, homemade tagliatelle or fettuccine pasta.
Other great sauces similar to mushroom pasta sauce
Roasted pepper sauce for pasta
Walnut sauce for pasta in less than 10 minutes
Pasta with zucchini and anchovies
Pasta sun dried tomatoes and balsamic vinegar
Fettuccine served with mushroom pasta sauce
This is one of my favourite meals especially with a dribble of truffle oil on top.
Hadn’t thought about giving it the truffle touch. Must try it soon:)