Pappardelle with chanterelles
Thu, 3 September, 2020
Chanterelle mushrooms with simple pasta are the best dish of the autumn. Even better if you’ve foraged the chanterelles yourself!
Where to find wild mushrooms?
Without a shadow of doubt, the best thing about the end of summer is the appearance of wild mushrooms. The fortunate foragers on the continent can relish several varieties of milkcaps, penny buns, slippery jacks and even truffles.
In the UK we’re happy to get hold of Scottish chanterelles as, frankly, the funghi that grow sparsely in the rest of the island wouldn’t earn a second glance from a European forager.
At least we have chanterelles!
I have been spending a small fortune on chanterelles this autumn – as rarities, they fetch a suitable price – since I discovered Smithy, an online mushroom supplier. A box of 500g makes at least one gorgeous lunch of chanterelles on toast for the two of us, and one divine side dish for dinner.
How to prepare chanterelles?
There’s no fuss with chanterelles: you don’t wash them lest they become soggy, just brush any dirt, sand or pine needles off with a soft brush or a paper towel; trim the stalk if necessary and fry the ‘shrooms gently in a little butter.
Chanterelles with pasta
You can also make a centrepiece of a meal with your sunny chanterelles if you dress pasta with sautéed chanterelles and a little Parmesan. In the truly Italian style where less is more in pasta sauces, nothing else is needed for a wonderful feast.
Chanterelle-pappardelle
My love of bad puns and all word play forced me to pick pappardelle for my dish: pappardelle con chanterelle (imagine an Italian chef sing-songing it) or pappardelles aux chanterelles (that’s a snooty French maitre-d’ chefsplaining what you’ve ordered). I know, lame, indulge me.
But bad jokes aside, pappardelle is a dream pasta shape for the light dressing of fragrant mushrooms; morsels of chanterelles and gratings of cheese will cling to the wide strands very nicely. If you like, you can add cream of course and turn it into a rich dish that kids will adore but I delight in wild mushrooms so much I want to taste them cooked as simply as possible.
pappardelle with chanterelles
Servings: 2Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 200g (7 oz.) fresh chanterelles
- 200g (2 cups) dried pappardelle pasta
- 1 tbsp. butter
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
- 40g (2 tbsp.) freshly grated Parmesan
METHOD
1. Wipe the chanterelles clean with paper towels or scrape any dirt off with a small knife; don’t wash them unless really mucky or they’ll soak up water like sponges. Chop them roughly.
2. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.
3. Heat the butter in a large sauté pan or wok over medium heat. When it’s foaming, add the chanterelles and cook gently, stirring occasionally.
4. When the water boils, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
5. In the meantime, season the chanterelles with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Keep on low heat.
6. When the pasta is ready, transfer it from the pot into the mushrooms with tongs, sloshing some of the cooking water in as you go along. Add half the parmesan, stir thoroughly to coat the pasta and to cook off the excess liquid.
7. Divide between the serving plates and serve immediately sprinkled with the remaining Parmesan.
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