This recipe is for wild morel mushrooms should you be fortunate enough to have them. Melissa collects them and brings them to us in early summer.
-Several cups of mushrooms 5-6?
-2 shallots, finely chopped
-2 (or more) cloves of garlic, minced
-1 lb dry pasta (We used angel hair cooked in a very large skillet with about a quart of salted water.)
-cold half-and-half
-tarragon, thyme, black pepper and salt
-white wine
-asiago cheese
-corn starch
-some soy sauce (optional)
-3 tablespoons of butter
Set a pot to boil with salted water for pasta.
While that’s boiling, chop the morels into a large dice (stems included)
Thinly slice 2 shallots and some garlic cloves.
Toss shallots and garlic in a pan on medium heat with a few tablespoons of butter and saute until the shallots start to become soft and translucent.
Next, add your morels to the pan and stir occasionally.
In a separate bowl, mix 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into 1 cup *cold* half and half, and mix in a few tablespoons of shredded asiago.
Add a few hearty splashes of white wine to the mushroom pan.
Stir in your half-and-half/cornstarch/cheese mixture. Turn the heat down a little to keep it from scalding, but simmering is fine. You want the mushrooms to cook. Keep stirring.
Add a hearty sprinkle of tarragon and thyme, a few twists of black pepper, a little salt.
When the pasta is done, drain and set it aside.
Continue stirring the sauce and mushroom mixture around. You don’t want it to burn or stick to the pan.
When it starts to thicken, give it a taste and adjust spices as needed. If you’re so inclined, add a splash of soy sauce for savoriness and some more cheese.
If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more half and half, white wine or both.
Plate the pasta and ladle the mushroom sauce on top.
-Melissa Lardiere