Pasta With Wild Mushrooms, Peas and Bacon

Category: Main Dishes | Blog URL: http://www.eating-sf.com/2009/07/pasta-with-wild-mushrooms-peas-and.html

This recipe was entered in The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest, a compilation of the world’s best food blogs which was published in Fall 2010.

Photo: Kasey Fleisher Hickey

Ingredients

10 ounces whole wheat fettuccine

1 cup of mixed wild mushrooms of your choice, cleaned, with stems trimmed to your liking

cup of fresh, shelled English peas

2 inches slices of good quality bacon, cut up into 1 cubes

3 tablespoons of olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 large shallot, chopped finely

Parmeggiano Reggiano, to taste

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped finely

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Preparation

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick saute pan over medium heat. Add in the chopped shallot, garlic and bacon, cooking until the shallot softens and then bacon begins to crisp up nicely.

Toss in the mushrooms (make sure you've sliced any large ones), sauteing everything together for another 5-6 minutes, or until the mushrooms reach your desired consistency (tender, but not falling apart).

Meanwhile, cook the pasta until it is al dente. I prefer to use a nice whole wheat fettuccine for this recipe as it pairs well with the nuttiness of the mushrooms. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and set aside.

Add the peas and parsley to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cook for just a minute or two before tossing in the pasta and mixing well, coating the pasta with the oils and fat.

Remove the skillet from the heat and put the pasta into a large serving bowl. Shave a generous amount of Parmeggiano Reggiano over the dish, tossing to combine.

Serve with additional cheese and salt and fresh pepper, to your liking.

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About

After my recent trip to Stellina, I can't stop thinking about bacon. Not just bacon--but little bits of smoky bacon trapped in pasta and accompanied by peas and lots of cheese. Normally, I'm not a big fan of bacon. In fact, I lament about how much it stinks up my apartment when Matt makes breakfast on a Sunday morning. That said, I will not lie: I've recently had bacon in pasta, nectarine salads and quiches...and I like it!

The inspiration behind this recipe certainly came from the pasta that I ate at Stellina. It incorporates fresh-from-the-market English peas, as well as a medley of wild mushrooms, shallot, bacon, and cheese...lots of cheese. Everything came together pretty quickly and I must say looked gorgeous. I wouldn't recommend making this with plain old mushrooms--if you don't have access to wild, just skip them all together. You could, in theory, use frozen peas, but nothing beats shelling a bagful of peas that are crisp and tender, and collecting them into a bowl. You're also certainly welcome to add a splash of white wine to this dish, but it's really not necessary. Between the olive oil, bacon fat, garlic, shallot, and cheese, I think you've got a lot of flavors working with you.

Also, don't drain the fat. I know you're going to squirm, and be tempted to, but just don't do it. If you're worried about your waistline, just remind yourself that Fall is just around the corner. Just kidding. Go ahead and use lean, thin cuts of bacon that are more meaty than fatty. And remember that you are using whole wheat pasta in the recipe. And the freshest of vegetables.