Sweet green peas, sautéed mushrooms, and heavy cream make this springy, earthy, and rich pasta dish come alive.
The earthy flavor of dried porcinis imparted from a quick stock allows you to use any kind of fresh and tender mushrooms in this recipe. A French coffee press provides an efficient method to steep the dried mushrooms for 20-30 minutes before filtering about a cup of rich mushroom stock for the sauce.
Use Baby Bellas, Morels, Shiitakes, or white button mushrooms as available from your local grocer. After cooking the mushrooms and releasing their moisture, a little flour mixed into the mushrooms makes a roux to which you add the mushroom stock.
Blanching and subsequently chilling frozen green peas provides a fresh, crisp edge to the creamy mushroom sauce. Overcooked peas makes a tasteless and flabby addition, so be sure to ice the peas to stop them cooking after they are blanched for a few minutes in boiling water.
Paul recommended a 2017 Pinot Noir from William-Selyem with this dish for dinner.
Farfalle with Sweet Peas and Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 16 oz Baby Bella or button mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 12 oz farfalle
- 1 heaping Tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley and shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish
Directions:
- Pour just over a cup of boiling water into a French press containing dried porcini mushrooms and allow to steep undisturbed with plunger resting over water surface. Set aside
- Bring large pot of salted water to a boil
- Blanche peas in boiling water for a minute and scoop out with a slotted spoon into an ice water bath. Set aside peas and return pot to a boil.
- In a large skillet or enameled cast iron pot, melt butter on medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper. Stir until all mushrooms release their moisture (5-10 minutes). Reduce heat to low.
- Add farfalle to pot of boiling water and cook according to package directions. Stir often.
- While pasta boils, add flour and stir until mushrooms are coated with flour. Add 1 cup of mushroom stock to mushrooms and bring to a simmer until thickened. Stir in heavy cream until combined and reduce heat to low. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain pasta when ready, and stir into mushroom cream sauce. Add drained peas until combined.
- Spoon pasta into shallow bowls and top with chopped parsley and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Place at the Table 