Our good friends Ed and Kay Pullen graciously shared a pound of chanterelle mushrooms with us. I normally don’t make cream-based pasta sauces, nor do I order them at restaurants, but these gorgeous mushrooms called out for a decadent treatment! Judging from the ohhs and ahhs around the table, I think it was a winner.
The original recipe called for 1 cup of heavy cream, but I just couldn’t do it. I used a mixture of skim milk and heavy cream, but you could use half and half too.
Orecchiete pasta are “ear-shaped”, perfect for grabbing the sauce.
Orecchiete with Chanterelle Mushrooms
- 1 lb. orecchiete pasta
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 lb. chanterelle mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 Tbsp. port wine
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup skim milk
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
Using a large non-stick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, but not brown. Add mushrooms and cook until they soften, about 4-5 minutes. Add port and lemon juice and cook for 3 minutes. Combine heavy cream and skim milk and pour into pan. Simmer gently until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Add parsley.
Toss sauce with cooked pasta and serve.
