This is a recipe I make all the time, and it’s not particularly complicated, though it is particularly tasty. I never know what about cooking is or is not self-explanatory: I cook a lot, food is kind of my vocation, so this recipe seems self-evident to me, but if you’re new to cooking from scratch, maybe it’s not. In any case, though, writing it up gives me the opportunity to talk about mushrooms.

 

I love mushrooms. They’ve got a great, rich umami flavor that lends oomf and savory glory to vegetarian dishes, they keep well, they’re cheap, and since they’re a vegetable, I’m going to assume they’re nutritious. But I sometimes run into people who claim to hate mushrooms, and I think I’ve figured out whence comes their hate: people don’t cook mushrooms right. They crowd the pan, they undercook them, and the end result is a slimy, rubbery, gross, too-wet mess. Well, it’s easy to not arrive at this dreadful state: you’re just not cooking your mushrooms long enough or hot enough. Period.

 

Allow me to demonstrate.

 

First of all, get a BIG pan. Do not overcrowd your mushrooms — in fact, the mushrooms I’m showing you are a little overcrowded. Seriously. Make them in batches if you have to. Secondly, use a little oil, and turn the heat up to medium high.

 

 

Now, let the mushrooms cook, stirring occasionally. They’ll shrink in size and release a lot of moisture. They’ll start to stick to the pan a little. Keep going. These next mushrooms? THEY’RE NOT DONE.

 

 

Keep going. I don’t know how long it takes — 15 minutes, maybe? Just watch them. Refer to my illustrations. Now, these mushrooms down here? They are ready.

 

 

They’re not rubbery, they’re not slimy, they’re not wet — in fact, they’re just barely moist and delightfully toothsome. They’ve also taken on a delicious deep caramelized flavor. All it took was space, heat, and patience.

 

Now, here’s how I use these mushrooms, though you’re welcome to think of other applications. You’ll need:

1 pound of mushrooms, sliced. I like to mix crimini, white, and chanterelles, but if you can only get one, go crimini (or “baby bella”).

2-3 tablespoons of oil. I mix canola and olive oil, olive oil for the flavor, canola for the heat tolerance, but if you can only use one, go canola.

1-2 cups white wine, something hearty, like a dry chardonnay (but not too oaky)

3-4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

0.5-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

asparagus, chopped (or spinach, chopped, or green beans, chopped, or … you get the idea)

1/2 cup of peas, fresh or flash frozen

1.5 tablespoons flour

2 cups half ‘n’ half or light cream

1/2 cup of grated parmesan, or pecorino, or a mix of the two

1 bag/box of pasta

 

Wash and slice the mushrooms, heat up the oil in the pan, and do to them what I showed you above. Meanwhile, boil water for the pasta and cook it to al dente. When the mushrooms are ready, add the garlic and give it a second to get aromatic and golden. Then deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up all the scrumptious mushroom bits. Add the salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, fresh veggies, and peas. Bring to a simmer, and let it simmer away until the fresh veggies are getting tender and the peas are heated through. In a separate little bowl, mix the flour with enough of the half ‘n’ half or cream to dissolve it. Pour this into the pan, and then add the rest of the cream and the cheese. Stir and allow to simmer for just a bit, until the sauce thickens a little — it should be loose but not watery, so it coats the pasta easily but doesn’t run around your plate. Drain the pasta and mix it in with the sauce.

 

 

Voila. I promise, people who say they don’t like mushrooms will change their minds. An interesting thing about this sauce is that it has an under-taste that’s just faintly cinnamon-y, even though clearly there’s no such thing in the recipe. I have no idea what chemical process makes this happen, but it does, and it’s pretty nifty.

 

ETA: I submitted this post to my friend @javelinwarrior’s Made with Love Mondays food blog!