Spaghetti With Mushrooms

I love mushrooms and the Asian grocery stores have lots of variety these days. I bought fresh shiitake, pearl oysters, something called bunapi, and white button. They are very good simply steamed in a banana leaf pocket and served with a sprinkle of sea salt and squirt of lemon, or sauteed in olive oil and served with steaks or baked chicken. I found a simple pasta recipe featuring mixed mushrooms. The only additional flavoring to the pasta dish is crispy fried prosciutto and chicken broth which I substituted with vegetable broth. I want the mushrooms to shine and I thought the chicken broth might overpower it. I love this simple yet packed with flavor pasta dish. 


Spaghetti With Mushrooms
recipe adapted from bon appétit
¼ cup olive oil, divided
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 pound mixed mushrooms, torn into pieces
2 shallots, minced
1 teaspoon thyme plus fresh sprigs for garnish
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup vegetable stoc
12 ounces fettuccine or spaghetti
½ cup heavy cream
sea salt and pepper

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a cast iron pan on medium. Arrange prosciutto in a single layer in pan and cook, turning once or twice, until crisp. Transfer to plate.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same pan on high. Cook mushrooms, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and tender.

• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add shallots and 1 teaspoon thyme; season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until shallots are translucent and softened, about 2 minutes.
• Add stock and reduce heat to low. Bring to a simmer and cook until only a thin layer of stock coats bottom of pan.
• While sauce is reducing, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling oiled water, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes less than package directions. 
• Transfer pasta to pan with mushrooms and add ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid. Crumble half of prosciutto into pan. 
• Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened. 
• Add cream, return to a simmer, and cook, tossing, until pasta is coated, about 1 minute.
• Remove from heat. Taste and season with sea salt if needed. 
• Divide pasta among bowls. Top with more thyme and crumble remaining prosciutto on top.