Porcini Ravioli With Sage Brown Butter

It's Columbus Day and we're celebrating by dishing up one of our favorite seasonal paste (that's plural for pasta, lo sai) -  Porcini Ravioli With Sage Brown Butter. Porcini mushrooms are now in season, so we went to our favorite forager at the farmers market yesterday and picked up some of these forest beauties.

If you've never had porcini mushrooms (also known as King Boletes) they are large, but exceptionally tender and flavorful fungi. When cooked up they are so silky smooth and delicate that I refer to them as vegan foie gras. They truly are a delicacy.

Porcini are wonderful on their own - sauteed in a little olive oil with a sprinkle of a good quality salt (such as Murray River, sel gris or fleur de sel) - but they are also divine in ravioli with a simple sage brown butter sauce.

If using pre-made sheets of pasta this dish is surprisingly easy to make. Don't be discouraged! It only requires a little sauteing, a bit of patience in forming even little mounds, then cutting around those mounds. Easy! Not even close to navigating oceans and discovering new worlds like our old Italian friend did.

Other great pasta recipes to mangia:

Mark Bittman's Pasta With Fast Sausage Ragú
Carbonara Sauce With Fettuccine from Cooking during Stolen Moments
Pasta e Fagioli from Full of Beans
Homemade pappardelle con porcini from Paul's Cooking...
Baked rigatoni with spinach, ricotta, and fontina from Evil Chef Mom

Photo by mastermaq