I’ve noticed lately that porcini mushrooms are appearing more at the supermarket, particularly the dried version.
The fresh version is most plentiful in the spring and fall seasons; where they are imported from Italy.
The dried version is also tasty and keeps far longer than it’s fresh counterpart. Sometimes you may be able to find them in the produce section.
However, I have seen them in other parts of the supermarket. If you can’t find it, ask someone who works at the market, I’m sure they can point you in the right direction.
An added benefit of dried porcini is that it is always there if you need to make a quick but elegant supper.
Be sure to keep all the ingredients on hand just in case you get the porcini cravings!
Difficulty (Scale from 1-10): 4
Makes: 1 pound of pasta
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound of Marfalde pasta
1 1/2 pounds of fresh porcini mushrooms (or reconstituted from dried)
4 tablespoons of salted butter
salt to taste
cracked black pepper to taste
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Preparation
Wash mushrooms, removing dirt and debris. Dice mushrooms into 1/2 in pieces.
Heat butter in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat, add mushrooms and sauté 3-5 minutes or until browned.
Lower the heat to medium and cook for 7-9 minutes, or until tender.
Then remove from heat. Add salt & pepper to taste.
While mushrooms are cooking, add pasta to salted boiling water. Cook pasta till al dente (or desired firmness), then drain.
Add pasta to skillet, and toss to blend. Add parmesan cheese and toss thoroughly to evenly coat the pasta, then serve.
Enjoy your meal!