Wild mushroom season is upon us! But you don’t need to be an expert forager to fill your boots. From Ceps to Chanterelles by way of Oyster, Shiitake, Portobello, Chestnut and more, farmers’ markets and proper greengroceries are stocked up with fabulous UK fungi in abundance… and this super-simple, speedy supper recipe gives your personal pick of the day the centre-stage spotlight it deserves.
Ingredients (serves 2)
350g mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (or torn into bite-sized pieces)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
150ml dry white wine, white vermouth or pale cream sherry
200ml vegetable or chicken stock
The leaves from 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
150ml double cream
50g parmesan, finely grated
125g pappardelle
To serve: plenty of freshly ground black pepper; more grated parmesan; a handful of chopped parsley.
Method
Cook the pappardelle according to the instructions on the packet. Drain well (reserving a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water to guarantee a silky sauce) and set to one side.
Melt a generous knob of butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the mushrooms with a pinch of salt until they’ve released their liquid and started to turn golden. Add another knob of butter to the pan and briefly sauté the garlic with the mushrooms until fragrant (probably no more than a minute) before adding the wine and simmering for another minute or so until almost evaporated. Add the stock and thyme and continue to simmer until reduced by half, then add the cream and simmer for another 3-4 minutes before stirring the parmesan into the mixture.
Add the cooked pappardelle to the pan and use tongs to toss it around, adding splashes of the reserved pasta cooking water to create a glossy, slippery sauce.
When all the ingredients have thoroughly heated through, serve immediately in warmed bowls topped with plenty of freshly ground black pepper, more grated parmesan and handfuls of freshly chopped parsley.