Creamy Pasta with Pancetta & Crispy Mushrooms
Yield
Serves 4
RECIPE Ingredients
- 4 ounces ventrèche or pancetta, cut into ¼” lardons
- 3 tablespoons black truffle butter, divided use
- 1 package organic chef's mix mushrooms, trimmed and rough chopped
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 pound egg pappardelle
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving, optional
Recipe notes
With plenty of crispy sautéed mushrooms, black truffle butter, and pancetta, this creamy pappardelle is the ultimate comfort food dish.
RECIPE Preparation
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté ventrèche until browned, crisp, and rendered about 8-10 minutes. Remove ventrèche with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Drain ventrèche on a paper towel and set aside.
- Raise heat to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon of truffle butter to the pan. Once butter is melted, add mushrooms, turning to coat in the fat. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until mushrooms have expelled their water and are browned and crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Remove mushrooms to a plate and spread out in an even layer, set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of truffle butter to the pan, along with the shallots. Sauté until shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add stock, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until stock is reduced to about 1/3 volume. Reduce heat to low. Remove pan from heat for about a minute then slowly stir in cream. Return to heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooking, cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water, until just barely al dente.
- Using tongs or a wire spider, transfer pasta to the sauté pan. Add thyme and remaining tablespoon of black truffle butter; toss pasta to coat. Add ½ -1 cup of pasta water, as needed. Add mushrooms and ventrèche, toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with cheese on the side.
