Pappardelle with Mushrooms & Prosciutto

This dish was featured on the cover of the October issue of Bon Appetit. It spoke to me! 🙂

It was part of an article written to change the way pasta is typically cooked. Their secret to saucy, glossy, perfect pasta is to finish cooking the noodles in the sauce – with added pasta water. This pappardelle was creamy deliciousness topped with crispy prosciutto. Great.

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit, contributed by Claire Saffitz. I used a combination of cut crimini and shiitake mushrooms as well as large shallots.

I’m sharing this dish with my friends at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #141 this week, co-hosted by Julianna @Foodie on Board and Zeba @Food for the Soul. I was honored to have my Weeknight Fancy Chicken and Rice post featured this week too! Yay!

Yield: Serves 4

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 ounces (6 slices) thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1 pound mixed mushrooms (such as chanterelles, maitake, oyster, crimini, and/or shiitake), cut into bite-size pieces (I used 1/2 pound crimini and 1/2 pound stemmed shiitake mushrooms)
• 2 large shallots, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 12 ounces pappardelle (or fettuccine)
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Arrange prosciutto in a single layer in pot and cook, turning once or twice, until crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in same pot over high.
3. Cook mushrooms, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, 5–8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Add shallots and 1 teaspoon thyme, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until shallots are translucent and softened, about 2 minutes.
5. Add stock and reduce heat to low. Bring to a simmer and cook until only a thin layer of stock coats bottom of pot, 5−7 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than package directions. (I cooked mine just short of 3 minutes.)
7. Using tongs, transfer pasta to pot with mushrooms and add 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
8. Crumble half (3 slices) of prosciutto into pot.
9. Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to cook down too much or the pasta will become too dry.
10. Add cream, return to a simmer, and cook, tossing, until pasta is coated, about 1 minute.
11. Remove from heat, add butter, and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt if needed.
12. Divide pasta among bowls. Top with more thyme and crumble remaining prosciutto over; season with pepper.

One Year Ago:

• Stir-Fried Chicken & Bok Choy

Two Years Ago:

• Pork Tenderloin with Greens & Polenta

Three Years Ago:

• Fresh Tomato Sauce over Pasta
• One-Pan Pasta

Four Years Ago:

• Roasted Butternut Squash & Bacon Pasta

If you like this you may also like:

• Creamy Mushroom Pappardelle

Mushroom-Spinach Soup with Middle Eastern Spices

I cannot tell you how fabulous my house smelled while this soup was cooking! A neighbor stopped by while it was on the stove and commented that our house had wonderful karma. Of course that’s true… but I also think the wonderful spices in the air helped. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from the New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I used 1 1/2 pounds of cremini mushrooms and increased the amount of spinach. I also removed half of the soup from the pot, puréed the remaining soup, and then returned the solids to incorporate. It was earthy and hearty.

I added the juice of one lime which was absolutely perfect for me- very bright and delicious. My family thought is was a little heavy with lime juice. Next time, I would add the juice of one half of a lime and serve it with additional lime wedges on the side. (for me!)

Yield: 6 servings

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms (such as cremini, oyster, chanterelles and shiitake), chopped
• ½ pound shallots, finely diced (I used a food processor.)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch ground allspice (I used freshly ground.)
• 2 ½ teaspoons coarse salt, more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces (generous!) baby spinach
• fresh lime juice, to taste
• plain yogurt or Greek yogurt, for serving, optional

1. Heat 3 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms and half the shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are well browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and repeat with the olive oil, mushrooms and shallots.
2. Return all mushrooms to the pot and stir in tomato paste, thyme, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and allspice; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in 5 cups water, the salt and the black pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook gently for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in baby spinach and let cook until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Remove half of the soup from the pot and reserve.
6. Using an immersion blender or food processor, coarsely purée the remaining soup. Incorporate the unpuréed soup.
7. Mix in lime juice. Thin with water, as needed.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
9. Serve with dollops of yogurt and/or lime wedges, as desired.

One Year Ago:

• Vegetarian Chili with Winter Vegetables

Two Years Ago:

• Mushroom Risotto with Spring Herbs
• Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup

Three Years Ago:

• Smoky Butternut Squash Soup
• Winter Squash Casserole

Fresh & Wild Mushroom Stew

This is a delicious and intensely flavorful vegetarian stew- hearty when served over pasta or polenta as well. We ate it over whole wheat pappardelle but I think I would have preferred it over polenta. Next time! 🙂 This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by David Tanis. I used the leftover wild mushroom broth in a Broccoli Spinach Puree- yum.

I am bringing this earthy and elegant dish to share with my friends at Fiesta Friday #45 at the Novice Gardener. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

For the Stew:

• 1 ½ pounds, 24 oz, cultivated brown mushrooms, like shiitake, cremini or portobello
• ½ pound pale wild mushrooms, like chanterelle (or use King trumpet or oyster)(I used shiitakes instead)
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped sage or rosemary
• Pinch red pepper flakes or cayenne
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 small ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped or 20 grape tomatoes (not peeled)
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups wild mushroom broth, heated, or use chicken broth, or more to adjust consistency (recipe follows)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• pasta such as whole wheat pappardelle or polenta, for serving, optional

1. Clean mushrooms, keeping colors separate, and trim tough stems. (Save stems for stock.) Slice mushrooms about 1/8-inch thick.
2. In a wide skillet, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until onion has softened and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add 1 more tablespoon oil and turn heat to high. Add brown mushrooms (I added all of my mushrooms because I used shiitakes instead of pale wild mushrooms.), season lightly and stir-fry until nicely colored, about 3 minutes.
4. Lower heat to medium. Add thyme, sage, red pepper and tomato paste. Add tomatoes, stir well, and cook for 1 minute. Season again with salt and pepper.
5. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour, stir to incorporate and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in reserved onions.
6. Add 1 cup mushroom broth and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Gradually add 1 more cup broth and cook for 2 minutes. Sauce should have gravy-like consistency; thin with more broth if necessary. Adjust seasoning. (May be prepared to this point several hours ahead and reheated.)
7. If using pale wild mushrooms: Just before serving, put butter and 1 tablespoon olive in wide skillet over medium high heat. When butter begins to brown, add chanterelles, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 2 minutes, until cooked through and beginning to brown.
8. To finish the dish: Add garlic and parsley, stir to coat and cook 1 minute more. Add chanterelles, if using, to brown mushroom mixture and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Accompany with polenta or pasta if you wish.

For the Wild Mushroom Broth:

Yield: about 3 cups

• .88 oz mixed wild dried mushrooms or ¼ cup crumbled dry porcini (about 4 grams)
• 1 small onion or shallot, sliced
• 6 scallions, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf

1. Put all ingredients in a sauce pan. Cover with 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Strain. Broth may be made in advance and will keep a week, refrigerated.

One Year Ago:

• Napa Cabbage Curry

Mushroom, Leek, & Wild Rice Soup

This is an earthy and elegant soup adapted from Martha Stewart Living. It uses a combination of assorted fresh mushrooms as well as dried mushrooms to give it a rich and complex flavor. I used fresh cremini, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms, but button or chanterelles could also be used. The bunch of beautiful leeks from my CSA share were also part of this lovely dish. I sautéed the leeks in red wine rather than sherry. We ate it with crusty sourdough bread and green salad.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

• .25 oz dried porcini or dried portobello mushrooms (for 2 T powder- instructions below)
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1 tsp coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 1/2 pounds assorted mushrooms, sliced into bite-sized pieces (such as button, cremini, shiitake (stems removed), & chanterelle)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 6 leeks (white and pale-green parts only), quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sherry, Madeira, Port, or red wine
• 6 T light soy sauce
• 2 quarts homemade or low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 to 3/4 cup heavy cream or half & half
• 2 T finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

1. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add salt and wild rice. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Drain; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, make the dried mushroom powder. In a spice mill or coffee grinder, pulse the dried mushrooms to a fine powder. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
3. In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms; season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned and tender, about 7 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining oil and mushrooms.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low. Melt butter; add leeks. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 T of mushroom powder; cook 1 minute. Add sherry and soy sauce; cook 1 minute more.
5. Add stock to pot; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 20 minutes. Stir in wild rice, cream (or half & half), and parsley; adjust seasoning, and serve. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Herb-Roasted Turkey with Wild Mushroom Gravy

When we moved to Long Island, one of our Thanksgiving family traditions was to purchase a fresh turkey from the local butcher. Last year, when I had a second refrigerator for the first time, I purchased our turkey at Trader Joe’s because it was brined- and because I could store it.  My husband was skeptical.  It was the best turkey EVER.  We did it again this year, and we were not disappointed.

The Wild Mushroom Gravy was beyond amazing.  My brother helped prepare it, and he was very proud with the results.  This recipe is from Food and Wine.

Note: I have since updated this recipe to roast the turkey upside-down. This is our go-to method to keep the white meat moist.

For the Turkey:

• 1 loaf of ciabatta, about 1 pound (for cooking the turkey upside-down)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the ciabatta
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme, plus 4 large sprigs
• 1 tablespoon chopped sage, plus 4 large sprigs
• coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• One 19- to 20-pound turkey, neck and gizzard reserved
• 1 large apple (I used a Granny Smith)
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch-thick wedges
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large celery rib, cut into 1-inch pieces
• extra-virgin olive oil, for rubbing and drizzling
• 2 cups of chicken stock

For the Gravy:

• 2-3 tablespoons small dried porcini pieces (or mixed dried wild mushrooms)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 24 oz golden chanterelles or a mix of cremini and oyster mushrooms, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 3 large shallots, minced
• coarse salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth, plus pan drippings

To Roast the Turkey:

1. Let turkey stand at room temperature for one hour. Remove from packaging, drain brine, if applicable, and dry with paper towels.
2. Set an oven rack in the lower part of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°. (I set my oven to convection roast.)
3. In a small bowl, beat the butter with the garlic, chopped thyme and chopped sage and season with salt and pepper.
4. Season the turkey inside and out with salt and pepper.
5. Rub two-thirds of the herb butter under the skin and under the neck flap. Place the remaining butter in the cavity along with the thyme and sage sprigs. Tuck the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen string (optional- I skip this step).
6. Tuck one half of the apple, rounded side out, under the neck flap, place the other half in the main cavity. Fold the neck skin under the body and secure with a skewer.
7. Put the onion, carrot and celery in a large roasting pan; add the neck.
8. Slice the ciabatta horizontally and butter the cut sides of the bread generously.
9. Set a V-shaped wire rack in the roasting pan and place the slices of bread side-by-side lengthwise, buttered-sides up on the rack.
10. Place the turkey breast-side down, so it rests on the bread (not directly on the rack). Rub the turkey all over with olive oil.
11. Place in oven and roast 60 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven and, using silicone oven mitts, carefully flip the turkey breast-side up.
13. Add the stock into the pan. Season the skin with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
14. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° (I set my oven to convection roast) and continue to roast, for 2 to 3 hours longer, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165° when inserted in an inner thigh (I have had great success using the temperature probe that works through the oven.).
15. Transfer the turkey to a carving board and let rest in a warm place for at least 25 minutes and up to 1 hour.

To Make the Gravy:

1. In a small bowl, cover the porcini with 1/4 cup of hot water. Let stand until softened, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the chanterelle mushrooms and the shallots and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown and tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Lift the porcini from the soaking liquid and add to the skillet. Cover and remove the skillet from the heat.
4. Set a coarse strainer over a medium bowl. Pour in the juices and vegetables from the roasting pan and press on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Skim the fat off of the juices and reserve 2 tablespoons. (I use a fat separator.)
5. In a large saucepan, stir the reserved fat with the flour until smooth; cook over moderate heat until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Gradually whisk in the strained juices and the stock and bring to a simmer, whisking.
7. Add to the mushroom mixture and simmer over low heat, whisking often, until no floury taste remains, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Carve the turkey and serve with the gravy.