Mushrooms are
one of those foods that people seem either to love or hate.

Texture is the
reason I hear cited most often by those who dislike them.

For those with a penchant for fungi, there are more than 10,000
varieties of mushrooms in North America alone, about half of them edible.

One of my
favorite places to find many of those varieties is in Pike Place Market in
Seattle, Washington.

We went there
last year on vacation. And you know what that means, right? I cooked.

With a
vengeance.

I was like a
mycologist in a forest. (Think, “kid in a candy store.”)

There were so
many varieties available from my favorite green grocer in Pike Place Market: Frank’s Quality Produce.

The best news
is that they will ship mushrooms to you when they are in season.

That day, I
bought morels, lobster mushrooms, yellow chanterelles, white chanterelles, king
oyster mushrooms, a couple of cauliflower mushrooms, and one black truffle, with the plan
of making them into the most amazing pasta sauce ever.

And that I
did.

~ David

Pasta with
Wild & Crazy Mushrooms and Truffle

2 tablespoons
butter
6 slices
pancetta, preferably imported, diced
2 large
shallots, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 pounds
mixed sliced wild mushrooms
salt
freshly
ground black pepper
1 small black
truffle, shaved or thinly sliced (optional)
1/2 cup heavy
cream
1 pound fresh
pappardelle
chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Parmigiano-Reggiano,
for serving
Bring a large
pot of water to a boil.
In a very large
skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the pancetta and shallots
until the pancetta is slightly golden and the shallots are clear and beginning
to turn brown on the edges.
Turn the heat
to high and add the mushrooms. After a few minutes without stirring, the
mushrooms will begin to release their moisture. Stir, and continue to sauté,
stirring, until they are done. 
Season well with salt and plenty of black pepper. Add the truffle, if
using, and cook for about 30 second. Then add the cream and cook to reduce the
cream a bit. Remove from the heat, and prepare the pasta.
Add a good
handful of salt to the boiling water. Cook pasta for about 3 minutes, or until
al dente. Remove from the pot, reserving cooking liquid. Return mushrooms to
the heat, add the pasta, and toss well. Add a little of the pasta water, if
needed, to make a creamy sauce.
Divide among
4 plates and serve with chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Serves 4.



38 Comments

  1. Jill

    May 28, 2016 at 3:25 pm

    Heavenly….I think I can smell it….

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 28, 2016 at 4:08 pm

      You and Dave would love this! Looking forward to seeing you later this week…

      Reply
  2. Marcelle

    May 28, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    Your dish looks absolutely divine! I love mushrooms and chanterelles so delicious, but hard to come by here. I wonder if Pike's Place ships to San Antonio??! 🙂

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 30, 2016 at 2:04 pm

      Hi Marcelle! Yes, Pike's Place does ship anywhere! They certainly ship to Tucson! I am glad to see all my friends are mushroom lovers!

      Reply
  3. Andrea_TheKitchenLioness

    May 28, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    Dear David, this looks like a celebration dish for all those funghi! Must have tasted amazing!
    Hope you are enjoying a lovely long weekend,
    Andrea

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 30, 2016 at 2:04 pm

      Andrea – I loved all the different flavors and textures they gave!

      Reply
  4. Christina | Christina's Cucina

    May 28, 2016 at 9:38 pm

    LOVE this kind of pasta! Just got back from Europe and had it a couple of times in Italy! Divine!!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 30, 2016 at 2:05 pm

      Even if I only had ONE type of mushroom, Christina, this would have been wonderful!

      Reply
  5. Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things

    May 28, 2016 at 11:23 pm

    I'm in the love em camp, David. A beautiful post.

    Reply
  6. John - heneedsfood

    May 29, 2016 at 12:04 am

    Yes, I would definitely tuck into this with absolute glee. I adore mushrooms, and I only wish I could go out with confidence and forage for them. Sadly my knowledge for mushrooms doesn't extend that far, so best to buy them at the markets!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 30, 2016 at 2:07 pm

      John – we are hoping to host a local mushroom foraging class for our alumni group this fall. Guess whose idea that was? 🙂 I am very excited as there are many edible varieties in the mountains right behind our home!

      Reply
  7. Jean | DelightfulRepast.com

    May 29, 2016 at 2:09 pm

    David, that is a beautiful dish! I want to sit down at your table and attempt to eat it verrrry slowly!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 30, 2016 at 2:07 pm

      And therein lies the difficulty, Jean, … eating is slowly!

      Reply
  8. Cindy

    May 29, 2016 at 2:13 pm

    This is delicious! Amazing recipe!

    Reply
  9. Provence WineZine

    May 29, 2016 at 3:13 pm

    Gorgeous post and meal! Wish you had been with us when we accompanied the local pharmacist in Lourmarin on a mushroom hunt!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 30, 2016 at 2:08 pm

      I would have loved that, Susan – I used to go foraging in Upstate NY when I lived there. So much fun to eat what you find!

      Reply
  10. Karen (Back Road Journal)

    May 29, 2016 at 3:18 pm

    Well I'm one of those that love fungi. I could really go for a plate of your pasta right now and it is not even lunch time.

    Reply
  11. Cheri Savory Spoon

    May 29, 2016 at 11:35 pm

    We love, love mushrooms here, oh this looks so delicious David, adding the truffle must of gave this dish a little something extra. Hope you and Mark are having a wonderful long week-end.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 30, 2016 at 2:10 pm

      You are so lucky to be in the PNW now, Cheri – all those good mushrooms at your fingertips!

      Reply
  12. Frank

    May 30, 2016 at 12:33 pm

    I'm in the love camp when it comes to mushrooms, especially the gorgeous varieties in these photos. (I think many people get to know mushrooms through the bland "button mushrooms" that you'll find in most supermarkets—no wonder they're not fans.) And your recipes for mushrooms over pasta is almost exactly like mine! I think I may use a tad more cream, but otherwise… great minds think alike, I guess! Looks wonderful.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 30, 2016 at 2:11 pm

      Well, Frank, truth be told…. I had sued most of the cream in out rentals apartment on a scallop dish, so I might have used much more like you! I agree – great minds think alike but so do great tastebuds!

      Reply
  13. Sippity Sup

    May 30, 2016 at 9:47 pm

    We have the most wonderful mushroom vendor at the Hollywood Farmers Market. Almost as much selection as Pike Place. This pasta is a wonderful venue for all this beauty. GREG

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 30, 2016 at 11:30 pm

      You, my friend, are very lucky! We have one vendor who grows shiitakes, and another who grows oysters. But other than that, it's the grocery store for us!

      Reply
  14. Lois B

    May 30, 2016 at 10:29 pm

    What fun to try all of these unusual mushroom! Have you ever gathered your own mushrooms from the forest? It's a national pastime in a Poland. Every family has an expert. I've never had the opportunity, but my mother put a good scare in me as a child, so I don't know if I would be brave (crazy) enough to eat mushrooms that I''d picked from the wild.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 30, 2016 at 11:31 pm

      Lois – our alumni (and friends) club is going to do a mushroom foraging day this fall. I will let you know when so you can join (the "and friends" part). I used to do it in NY State, but haven't a clue here!

      Reply
    • Lois B

      May 31, 2016 at 3:11 pm

      Sounds like great fun, thanks!!!

      Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      June 2, 2016 at 12:54 pm

      Good – I will be in touch!

      Reply
  15. Colette (Coco)

    May 31, 2016 at 6:39 pm

    That's IT! I'm moving in next door to you!
    Now, I know where I'm going after work tonight…anywhere I can find a bunch of different mushrooms! xoxo

    Reply
  16. Unknown

    June 1, 2016 at 1:39 pm

    I love mushrooms! I didn't grow up eating them because my mom had this weird notion about them…more like old wives tale! Anyway, I discovered them on my own and loved them ever since. Our Whole Foods carries great variety so I get my mushroom in regularly. We also have a great local company, Hazel Dell who also ship, if you are interested.
    This looks delicious!!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      June 2, 2016 at 12:52 pm

      My family was only weird about canned mushrooms – so luckily we had plenty of fresh! I will check out Hazel Dell – good to know about – thanks, Nazneen!

      Reply
  17. Gerlinde de Broekert

    June 1, 2016 at 9:40 pm

    I love mushrooms and you have a fantastic collection in your pasta dish. I love to have some of it.

    Reply
  18. Inger @ Art of Natural Living

    June 4, 2016 at 1:38 pm

    What gorgeous photos David! Every spring we have been getting a handful of morels popping up in our backyard (knocking wood since they are so fickle) but not enough to do something with on their own. I could go out and pick up some more variety and this recipe would be perfect!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      June 6, 2016 at 12:02 am

      Inger – how lucky are you? We were at the market yesterday and there were morels and porcini. It was a hard choice, but the porcini won! Wish I could have gotten both!

      Reply

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