Simplest Mushroom Pasta
This is a non-recipe recipe, as in, maybe you’ll read and follow it once, but I hope you’ll take it from there after that. The base idea is to cook a thinly sliced vegetable in butter, olive oil, and garlic until it’s tender and well-seasoned with a concentration of flavor. I add a splash of wine or marsala for an extra layer, but it’s not mandatory. We then expand it into a sauce that stretches over pasta, and let them cook together for a minute until they’re harmonious. From here, you can add a big spoonful of something luxe — my favorite is crème fraîche but if not that, mascarpone or heavy cream would work. The result isn’t a creamy pasta, but one that tastes cozy and enriched. I always think it needs a little green on top and I get that from the chives on my terrace that come back every year despite the fact that they’re utterly neglected by me — the pot lost most of one side during construction last year, but they’re out there flowering this week like nothing happened. We should also be so inspirational, right?
Ingredients:
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound dried pasta, any shape you like
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter
- 1 pound fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced thin (see note)
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Glug of dry marsala or white wine (optional)
- 1/3 cup crème fraîche or mascarpone, or heavy cream
- Handful chopped chives or parsley, to finish (optional)
- Grated parmesan or pecorino