Fresh Pasta with Oyster Mushrooms

I made this pasta over Memorial Day weekend. The past few years we went out of town over the holiday weekend but this year, we decided to stay at home and relax, mostly because the weather was slated to be not so great.

I ended up doing a bit of cooking (which includes last week's ricotta dumplings). I hadn't made fresh pasta in a while and I'd found some gorgeous oyster mushrooms at the market so I threw together this dish using mostly pantry ingredients. I wish we'd had some fresh thyme because that would've been a great earthy complement to the mushrooms. There's always next time.

Ingredients [serves 4]:
1 lb. fresh pasta
¼ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes
1 lb. oyster mushrooms, pulled apart
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
¾ cup vegetable stock
¼ cup cream
2 tablespoons butter
+ grated parmesan

I started this whole process by making a batch of fresh pasta. I used the fettuccine cutter.

Once the noodles are laid out to dry out a bit (this yields a better texture, I think), slice some garlic thinly and tear apart the oyster mushrooms.

Get a skillet heating over medium with lots of good olive oil. Add the garlic and crushed pepper flakes and let that sizzle until fragrant and the garlic is lightly golden on the edges.

Add the mushrooms in, about half at a time so they don't completely steam themselves, and cook until soft.

Add in the stock, season with salt and pepper, and allow to reduce by half.

Once the sauce is reduced, cook the pasta. Fresh pasta only takes a couple minutes to cook through.

Reserve a cup of pasta liquid and set aside.

Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat in the reduced stock. Add a little pasta cooking liquid to loosen up the sauce and then finish with a splash of cream and a pat of butter. Toss gently until noodles are gorgeous and glossy.

Serve immediately with a generous grating of parmesan.

This pasta is so hearty and beautiful. The mushrooms are delicious and meaty and savory; they really soak up the garlic and chili flake-flavored oil. I love the delicate noodles with the delicate brothy sauce. The splash of cream and butter adds a rich mouthfeel and makes the dish feel really decadent.

Here's the recipe page: