Creamy Fettuccine with Shiitake & Porcini

Another Daring Gourmet original, coming up with a name for this was super fun!  I finally arrived at something both poetic and whimsical.  What do you think? “Creamy Fettuccine with Shiitake and Porcini.”  (Shiitake is pronounced “shi-taw-kee.  Porcini is pronounced “por-chee-nee”).  Now, say it two times in a row.

“Creamy Fettuccine with Shiitake and Porcini!  Creamy Fettuccine with Shiitake and Porcini!”

The cadence, the rhythm…it’s like Shakespeare ate this and wrote a sonnet about it.

Now on to serious matters.  There is nothing funny about flavor of this dish.  Let me tell you, we’ve scored a real winner here.  It’s quick and simple to make, but the flavors are rich and complex.  Upon sampling it this evening, my husband remarked “this is the second best pasta dish I’ve ever had.”  I asked, “Best pasta dish you’ve had that I’VE made?”  “Best pasta dish period.”  “And what’s the first?”  “Your Lemon-Garlic Shrimp Scampi.”  After another couple of bites he said, “Wow, this is sure a close second though.  Very close.”

Take your tastebuds on a journey of culinary delight with this Creamy Fettuccine with Shiitake & Porcini.

(Gotta love that name!)

I picked up some beautiful fresh shiitake mushrooms from my local Asian supermarket.  If you haven’t been to your local Asian store, I highly recommend it.  These mushrooms are typically far cheaper in an Asian store than elsewhere.  For example, I bought these for just $4.49/lb at the Asian store.  At the local produce store they sell for $19.99/lb!  As another example, you pay about $3-4 for a small plastic container of 5 3-inch lemongrass stalk pieces.  I bought 4 2 ft. stalks of lemongrass at the Asian store for a total of $1.24!  (Now I just need to find a way to use all of it!)

I also picked up 3 tubs of tofu for 99 cents total because they expire in 3 days (I have a hard time passing up great deals, especially on food).  So I need to figure out how I’m going to use all of THAT as well.  But I digress…

The point is that you can get some great deals at Asian markets.  The markup on the same thing (from the same source) is considerably higher for some items at the regular grocery stores.

Okay, let’s get to that delightful Creamy Fettuccine with Shiitake & Porcini!

Clean the shiitake mushrooms, cut off and discard the stems.  The stems are tough and woody and have little flavor.

Slice them about 1/4 inch thick.

Next we have these lovely dried porcini mushrooms.  These little gems are incredible!  A very rich and robust earthy flavor.  I purchased mine from FungusAmongUs.  They sell for around $6 for a 2 oz package like this, but you need so little of them to add a great deal of flavor to a dish.  For this dish you need 2 teaspoons of ground porcini, which is only about two of these pieces.

Using a coffee or spice grinder, grind up about two pieces of dried porcini.

Dice the onion.  Melt the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high and saute until translucent and starting to brown.  Add the garlic and saute for another minute.

Add the shiitake mushrooms, ground porcini, pepper and salt.  Saute for about 2 minutes, then add the wine.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.  This will allow the mushrooms to further caramelize and really bring out their flavor.

Luscious and tender shiitake mushrooms.

Add the parsley, lemon zest, and heavy cream.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  I wanted to add just a touch of freshness and a little bit of lemon zest was the perfect addition.

Add the cooked pasta and the Parmesan cheese.  Stir to combine and let it thoroughly heat through.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss to coat.

Serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Creamy Fettuccine with Shiitake & Porcini

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Though quick and simple to make, the flavors are rich and complex.

: The Daring Gourmet, www.daringgourmet.com

Recipe type: Pasta

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced, stems discarded (you can also use half cremini mushrooms)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons butter (vegans: use vegetable spread, such as Earth Balance)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated (vegans: use Parmesan substitute such as Parma Zaan Sprinkles)
• ¾ cup heavy cream (vegans: use soy milk blended with some vegan sour cream, such as Tofutti Sour Supreme, for a creamier consistency)
• 1 lb fettuccine, cooked al dente

Instructions

1. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add shiitake mushrooms, ground porcini, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and saute for 2 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add the parsley, lemon zest and heavy cream and simmer for another 5 minutes.
3. Add the fettuccine and Parmesan cheese to the skillet. Stir to combine and allow it to thoroughly heat through. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and toss to coat.
4. Serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan.

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