A simple mushroom pasta after a long day at work is like getting a warm hug from your plate
Ingredient inspiration: mushrooms
Mushroom philosophy: Whenever I see mushrooms my first thought is Pasta. Pasta with mushrooms is a combination that almost always wins, as long as the mushrooms are cooked thoroughly until they can’t sweat any more. I’m so turned off by raw or undercooked mushrooms in a pasta dish. Unfortunately such dishes are served in restaurants more often than not. I’m usually left disappointed and wish I had rather just cooked the meal at home. I suppose the fast paced kitchens don’t have the patience to give mushrooms the time they need to release water and get caramelized so the complex earthy charred flavors develop properly.
Mushroom introduction: I remember the first time I tasted mushrooms. My new immigrant mom found them in her local supermarket and was curious about what to do with them. As always her first idea with any new ingredient was to put it into a North Indian style curry. I am not joking! She even experimented with a curry pasta that is on regular rotation in her kitchen (she did not know how else to eat pasta in the early days). So naturally she made a soupy mushroom curry with green peas and introduced me to a new world of complex flavor. While a curry version of the humble mushroom is not my first choice for them, I admit I do occasionally request her to make it for me once in a blue moon to cater to the nostalgia.
Mushroom mishap: I am also aware that mushrooms are controversial for many people - it’s a love or hate relationship, as I learned once in my own kitchen. A few years ago I had invited my husband’s friends over for dinner. We had been raving to them about our homemade pizza made from scratch over texts and they were excited to try some. I was equally excited since it mean’t I got to eat more pizza and host lovely people. I prepared a yeasted dough the night before and let it ferment in the fridge. The next day I let it come to room temperature, divided it into smaller parts to make 3 kinds of pizzas, and let it continue to ferment until it was ready to be flattened and topped prior to baking. I was brainstorming various topping combinations to try throughout the day. Without question one combination was going to be caramelized mushrooms with caramelized onions and goat cheese. The other two were rosemary potatoes with feta cheese and a simple cheese pie. About an hour before our guests arrived I par-baked the pizzas on a pizza stone in a 500C preheated oven (~70% baked). I planned to finish baking them closer to eating time so they would be hot and crispy.
Our guests arrived and remarked excitedly over the aromas permeating the home. After enjoying some refreshing drinks I set the table, brought out a green salad, and the three pies. I watched the smile of anticipation on our friends faces fall super fast into disappointment and confusion, but quickly recovering into a faux excitement. I caught these nuanced expressions and inquired. After some coaxing they offered the truth. One of them hates mushrooms (and onions) with a passion. Cue in my embarrassment for not asking them about dietary restrictions when I invited them, their embarrassment for not volunteering this information prior to accepting the dinner invitation, and then our collective nervous laugh-out-loud moment for both of our errors. Next, cue in my relief that I had made 3 different kind of pies and my guests could enjoy the other two! This evening with friends is still my most memorable mushroom pizza dinner to date, similar to my most memorable curry dinner with guests I forgot about.
Mushroom pasta: On a recent evening after a long tiring day at work, I got home and performed the ritual many people perform in the kitchen. I opened the fridge, stared at it hoping for some delicious food to magically appear, and closed it in frustration when nothing did. I did this exact ritual two more times. Finally, after a few deep breathing moments, I opened the fridge again but this time with a resolve to cook somewhat delicious food. With this new perspective, I found button and portobello mushrooms, egg pasta noodles, and feta cheese staring back at me. And since whenever I see mushrooms my first thought is usually pasta, dinner was rescued.
I chopped the mushrooms into small pieces. In some hot olive oil in a large pan, I first added some dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley) to add flavor profiles and then added the chopped mushrooms, I let them cook and release water over a medium heat for ~15-20 mins. Once the water was released, I reduced the heat to low-medium and let the mushrooms caramelize for another 10 mins or so. To prevent over-crowding and steaming of the mushrooms, I did this in two batches in two separate pans and then combined them. I found stray red onion pieces in the fridge and added them too (why not?). In the mean time I also boiled water to cook the noodles (quick 4 min dunk in the boiling water since they were fresh, not dry). The al dente noodles went into the cooked mushrooms and loosely combined to finish the dish.
I plated this goodness into a large bowl and topped the noodles and mushrooms with feta cheese to add another layer of flavor and creamy texture. I relished this dinner. Some of my work tiredness melted away as my belly was filling with warm tasty food accompanied by sips of crisp and vibrant white wine. It felt like this plate full of delicious pasta was giving me a warm hug that I desperately needed.
Dish Debrief:
Is this my winner or disaster? winner
How would I rate this dish out of 10? 8 out of 10
What would I change next time? use other mushrooms (hen of the woods, enoki, oyster) and cheese (e.g. gruyere, goat cheese, parmesan)
Would I make this again? Yes, anytime I need a hug after a tiring day