Fettuccine with Porcini Mushrooms

The meaty, woodsy flavor of the dried porcini mushroom combined with the heavy cream make this a rich tasting dish. The porcini (aka cepe) is known as the king of wild mushrooms. Since the porcini mushroom hasn’t been successfully cultivated, the alternatives are dried, canned or frozen. Mushrooms are low in carbohydrates, calories, sodium, cholesterol and fat free!

Serves 2
250g fettuccine
handful of dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 clove of garlic minced
1/4 cup heavy cream

Soak mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Drain mushrooms and reserve liquid. Chop porcini. Saute garlic in olive oil and then add thyme, chopped porcini and the reserved liquid. Cook until reduced by half. Add cream to the mushroom mixture and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions. Drain pasta and add to the porcini sauce. Toss and add chopped parsley.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: When straining the porcini, make sure to use a fine sieve otherwise the small bits of dirt remain and will make the dish a bit unpleasant to eat. Mushrooms are magical when it comes to wine. They are spectacular with red wines with an earthy aroma or white wines with age. For the porcini mushroom you can easily use Barolo, Bordeaux, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Tempranillo.