White Asparagus and Porcini Pasta

This was an outrageous dinner. We had purchased Porcini Mushrooms and White Asparagus from Four Star Seafood in San Francisco and they shipped it to us overnight. Both imported items are very hard to source in Los Angeles. For the Asparagus we sautéed Home Made Breadcrumbs in Brown Butter. It was a perfect foil for the White Asparagus. We used a recipe for the Porcini Pasta that chef friend, Wendy had generously supplied to us. This was an amazing meal. It was like eating a great Italian Restaurant in Italy!

Fresh Porcini Mushroom Pasta
use real butter

from Wendy

 

1.5 lbs.   fresh porcini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/4-inch thick

3              tbsps unsalted butter

2              cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

¼             cup white wine (something bright and unoaked)

1 lb.        fettucine, cooked

½             cup heavy cream

squeeze of lemon juice to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (to taste)

parsley, minced

 

1.   To clean your porcini mushrooms, don’t use water or a damp cloth. A mushroom brush will do to gently remove any dirt or debris from your porcinis. Try to use the smaller bouchons or slightly larger mushrooms that haven’t become wormed out.

2.   Slice the mushrooms into 1/4-inch thick slices. Set them in a wide, shallow pan over high heat to dry them out, flipping after a few minutes. Eventually liquid will begin to bubble forth as they begin to turn slightly golden.

3.   Add the butter and garlic to the pan and let the mushrooms cook until they begin to brown. Pour enough wine to cover the bottom of the pan and stir up the browned bits in the pan. Let simmer for a minute or so. Add the cream and the wet, cooked pasta to the pan. Stir to coat and let simmer to a thin sauce. Squeeze a little lemon juice (to your liking) over the pasta and season with good salt and fresh ground pepper.

4.   Serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese and minced parsley. 

5.   Serves 4.