a scrumptious start

My, my. The holidays were quite the whirlwind. Cooking, cooking and more cooking…well worth the effort to spend wonderful time with family and friends. And then, just when I thought it was safe to come out of the kitchen, it was time to get back to work again. Good thing I enjoy this lot! As the new year finds me working diligently on a new project, I was suddenly surprised to find myself missing this blog. Really. I miss the serenity of writing and putting my practice into words. So I’d like to share this simple recipe for a comforting dish that’s just about perfect for this time of year. A melange of mushrooms cook down until they’re dense and intense with flavor. Wine and stock combine with their juices to make a lush sauce for pasta. Add some lemon zest for brightness, a dollop of cool ricotta for a creamy contrast, and a crispy prosciutto chip–the finishing flair that makes this dish a stand out. Hope 2012 has been peaceful for you so far…let’s start the new year on a scrumptious and savory note.

Wild Mushroom Fettuccine with Ricotta & Prosciutto Chips

Woodsy, wild mushrooms are so meaty and rich. Simply sautéed with a lot of shallots, a little bit of herb, some wine and stock, and you have a great sauce for pasta. A topping of fresh ricotta adds a wonderful creamy element. I’ve seen simple recipes online to make ricotta from scratch and hope to have a chance to try it myself soon, but for now I buy freshly made. It’s also easy to make this dish vegetarian: use vegetable stock instead of veal or chicken for the sauce, and omit the prosciutto chips. But, oh those prosciutto chips. A snap to make and they add a deliciously salty bite of crunch. Ask for the prosciutto to be sliced a little thicker than usual.

Begin with a combination of mushrooms. I generally choose white button, cremini, and shiitakes because they’re readily available in my market, but it would also be wonderful to add oyster, chanterelles…dried porcini would add great depth of flavor, too.

Don’t wash your mushrooms–they’re little sponges that will absorb all the water. Just use a soft brush or a damp paper towel to brush away any excess dirt. Trim the stems and chop the mushrooms into similar size chunks or wedges.

Finely chop the shallots. In a large sauté pan over a medium flame, heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter until melted and shimmering. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent.

Add the mushrooms and thyme sprigs and sauté for several minutes, without disturbing them, until they’ve browned on one side. Toss the mushrooms in the pan and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue to sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

When the mushrooms have cooked down and released their juices, add the dry white wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the wine by half, then add the veal, chicken, or vegetable stock. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes until sauce cooks down a bit and is slightly thickened.

While the mushrooms cook, make the Prosciutto Chips: preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the prosciutto slices on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the oven to crisp up for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before handling.

In a large pasta pot, bring 5 to 6 quarts of water to boil over high heat. Add a small handful of sea salt and then place the fettuccine in the water. Bring back to the boil and cook the pasta according to package directions, stirring often. Be sure not to overcook the fettuccine–it should have a bit of bite when you taste it.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter in knobs to the pan to add gloss and thickness to the mushroom sauce. If you want to loosen the sauce a bit, add some of the pasta water, and stir in the lemon zest. Taste and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Drain the pasta and add it directly to the mushroom sauce in the pan. Toss to coat the pasta thoroughly with the sauce. Serve the pasta and mushrooms in bowls, topped with a dollop of fresh ricotta and garnished with chopped chives and freshly cracked black pepper. Lay a prosciutto chip across the top of each bowl and serve.

Serves 4:

1 pound assorted mushrooms, like cremini, button, shiitakes
3 to 4 shallots, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup
2 to 3 thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, divided
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups veal, chicken, or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 pound fettuccine
slightly thick prosciutto slices 
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped

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