I must confess, that before my Italian expat blog buddies got me drooling over Porcini mushrooms, I had never tried them.
And now I have them to thank blame for my new Porcini addiction!
You see, in my world- Porcini is the new crack. My drug of choice.
There *are* worse addictions you know. Don’t even let me near black truffles!
You may remember I made some Porcini and Pea Risotto a while back- but I needed more. Had. To. Have. More.
So I whipped me up some Porcini and Penne.
This one was most certainly an experiment- being high on the ‘shrooms and all. So if you’re looking for a recipe, you’ll have to find one from Mario Batali’s website- or some such nonsense! Junkies don’t need a recipe.
I used dried Porcini, which is available locally to me. If you can score some of the good stuff (fresh Porcini), then by all means- add some in!
Porcini and Penne
Boil some water and a mushroom boullion cube, then simmer. Grab a few handfuls of large Porcini pieces and throw them into the pot. Steep in the water for about 20 minutes. Drain the ‘shrooms, rinse off well and squeeze out excess water. Roughly chop and set aside. Strain boullion through cheesecloth and set aside the ‘shroom juice.
Grab a handful of small Porcini pieces and the tiny bits from the bottom of the bag. Grind to a fine powder in a mini food processor. Set aside.
Saute minced shallot and garlic with olive oil in a large pan. Add salt and pepper. Add the strained ‘shroom juice, some white wine, a few splashes of cream and the ‘shroom powder into the pan. Let this boil, then reduce down till nice and thick.
Add the already cooked pasta (done to just this side of al-dente) to the pan, toss with the sauce and heat through.
Serve in bowls and sprinkle with parsley and a dusting of cheese.
It may not be quick- but it’s my Porcini fix.
Buon Appetito!
So, what is your food drug of choice? What one ingredient can’t you get enough of?