Mushroom Pasta

Big flavours on a plate

A simple tasty lunch or supper for those who have eaten far too much meaty protein over the Christmas Holiday.

The dish works equally well with fresh or dried pasta and can be made in a few minutes by anyone who can turn on a hob. Don't forget dried pasta takes longer to cook than fresh.






Ingredients:

Enough Pasta of your choice.

The Sauce

One clove of garlic.  

50 grams of butter  

One tablespoon of sunflower oil

Fresh or dried tarragon (you need less fresh)  

Squirt of lemon juice

Half a small glass of white wine  

1/4 of a Knorr vegetable stock cube  

2 large field mushrooms (Portabello mushrooms work well in this recipe) 

One small handfull of dried Cep mushrooms  

Four tablespoons of double cream  

Salt and black pepper to taste  

One teaspoon of caster sugar  

Warning; Tarragon is a powerful herb and it is very easy to overwhelm the flavour of  the mushrooms by over doing the Tarragon. This is particularly easy to do when using   the fresh herb rather than the dried herb. Add a little and taste before adding more.  You can make this sauce without the dried ceps or the white wine but it  does taste less of the forest and what the hell you only live once!    I have never made this dish without the butter and would not recommend this unless you have a dodgy ticker.                    

Method:

1 Peel the clove of garlic and split length ways with a sharp knife.

2 Take a heavy highsided nonstick frying pan and rub the cooking surface with the cut face of the garlic clove.

3 Put the pan on a low heat and add the butter, the oil and the garlic used to rub the pan.

4 Slice the Portabello mushrooms and add to the warm butter and oil.

5  Before the garlic browns remove it from the pan and discard.

6  Add the chopped fresh or dried Tarragon leaves. 

7 Turn the mushrooms in the butter and oil until they are cooked.

8 Whilst the mushrooms are cooking, rehydrate the dried ceps. Place the ceps in a pint glass cover with water. Seal the top of the glass with cling film and microwave for 1&1/2 mins.

9 Squirt the lemon juice on to the mushrooms in the frying pan. 

10 Add a teaspoon of sugar by sprinkling over the mushrooms. 

11 Turn up the heat a little and add the wine to the frying pan. 

12 Crumble the piece of stock cube into the frying pan and stir to remove lumps. 

13 Add the ceps and liquor from the glass and reduce the liquid until it just covers the   the frying pan.

14 Remove from the heat and leave to stand. 

15 Boil water for pasta and cook until ready. 

16 Whilst pasta is cooking gently reheat the mushrooms and just before the pasta is cooked   add cream to the frying pan whilst stirring vigorously to avoid the sauce separating.

17 When sauce is hot turn off the heat.

18 Strain the pasta well and then add to the frying pan and toss in the sauce.  Pasta:Tagliatelle, Pappardelle or Penne work well with this sauce.

19 Serve from the pan into bowls at the table.  Quantity to suit your appetite.

I like to garnish with rocket or other bitter salad leaves but this is optional.  The whole dish can be made in twenty minutes including preparation and creates minimal washing up. Bon Appetite!