Tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms and truffles

I’ve never been much of a mushroom fan when it comes to those pasty white mushrooms you see in the produce department. Ugh. But, porcini mushrooms are a whole other story. They have a strong flavor that goes well in pasta dishes, risotto and with beef.

Personally I like to use the dried kind. I stick with the dry because I always have some around for that last minute recipe and, after soaking them in water you get a nice cooking liquid. Porcini mushrooms are a staple in my pantry.

The other thing I like is truffles. Now, truffles can be an acquired taste. I love them, but they are very strong and some people just don’t like them. They seem to be one of those things you either love or hate. There’s no in between.

I use black truffles already sliced and preserved in olive oil. They’re much easier to keep on hand, but you have to be careful where you buy them. Many companies will add fillers like chopped black olives. That’s why I tend to buy from known local companies and why I tend to buy the sliced ones. You can see that they are truly truffles.

A small jar like this costs about 10 to 12 euro, not cheap, but it only takes a tiny bit to flavor a whole dish, so it lasts us a good long time.

Now, on to the recipe. By the way, if you don’t have any truffles on hand, this dish is also good with just the porcini mushrooms. Also, if you happen to have time to make some homemade tagliatelle, it’s sure to be fantastic.

Ingredients

30 grams (1 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
(this is a lot more than it sounds like)
200 grams (about 7 ounces) tagliatelle
1 teaspoon chopped black truffle
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 to 1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup red wine
grated parmigiano
salt

Directions

About an hour before you’re ready to start the dish, set the dried porcini mushrooms to soak in the warm water, making sure they are covered (hence the 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of water). After they’ve soaked for about an hour, remove the mushrooms from the water, but don’t throw out the water, instead you’ll need to strain it to remove any pieces of grit that might be in it. Use a coffee filter or a clean paper towel to filter the liquid and set the liquid aside. Rinse off the mushrooms to remove any grit that might be clinging to them.

I usually chop the mushrooms up because I like the little pieces to be mixed all in with the pasta. If you like big hunks of mushrooms, you can leave them as is.

Start your salted water cooking for the pasta. In the meantime, in a large frying pan or saltapasta, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the chopped garlic. Cook for two minutes without letting it get brown, then add the porcini mushrooms. Saute for five or six minutes, then add the red wine, stirring until the wine is absorbed by the mushrooms (the aroma will be fantastic). Now add the reserved mushroom liquid, parsley, and a little salt and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Don’t cover the pan, you want to liquid to be reduced. If the liquid seems to be reducing too quickly, turn the heat down to low. You can always add some of the pasta cooking water if it seems too dry. Taste for salt and add if necessary.

As soon as your pasta water starts to boil, add your pasta and cook until al dente. In the meantime, turn the heat off under the mushroom mixture and add the truffles, being sure to mix them in well. Truffles are always added after the cooking is done.

Drain your pasta and add it to the pan with the mushrooms, being sure to mix it well so that the noodles are coated.

Serve and pass the grated parmigiano.

Yumm!