Fettucine Boscaiola

INGREDIENTS

• 15g dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 cup boiling water
• 375g fresh fettuccine
• 30g butter
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 300g mixed mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced sage leaves
• 4 eschalots, diced
• 1 cloves garlic, sliced
• ¼ cup dry white wine, Madeira or port
• ½ cup cream
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Pour boiling water over dried mushrooms and set aside to re-hydrate (20-30 minutes) and soften.
2. Cook pasta in large pot of salted, boiling water, (5-6 minutes) until al dente and drain. Drain mushrooms and strain liquid through a fine sieve to remove any dirt; reserve liquid and slice mushrooms thickly.
3. Heat butter and olive oil together in a large, non-stick frying pan and cook fresh mushrooms, sage, eschalots and garlic until starting to sweat and caramelise. Add sliced porcini and wine, sauté. Add some porcini water and add a dash of cream and pepper. Bring back to the boil and reduce slightly.
4. Add drained pasta and, if necessary, a little of the pasta cooking liquid to thin the sauce slightly. Serve hot.
   

I use either home made fresh pasta, or the gourmet pasta from a deli or supermarket. The dried instant stuff is ok for bulk stuff or just for plain pasta for that really special dish, say you're entertaining in-laws or cooking for your date, i recommend going all out and using the good stuff. It makes all the difference with good pasta dishes. Find yourself a good Italian Deli in town somewhere and ask them whats good for your dish.

Enjoy.

James the Not So Skinny Cook