Take everything you ever learned about cooking pasta (hello large volumes and rapidly boiling water) and throw it out the window. Okay, maybe don’t do that. But, if you are looking for a way to conserve water, save energy or, even better, infuse your pasta with the flavors of meaty mushrooms, aromatics and cream, this steamed pasta cooked with the passive method might become your new obsession—and it’s ready in under 30 minutes. The super luxe pasta dish is cooked directly in a heavy cream mixture and takes advantage of the concentrated starchy cooking liquid to magically make a sauce, no straining or reserving of the pasta water needed. Mascarpone and Parmesan folded in at the end help create the silkiest creamy sauce and a rich decadent meal. Crispy wild mushrooms make the ultimate textural garnish. No need to transfer to a bowl: serve it directly from the pot so the toothsome noodles continue to soak in all the delicious sauce.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 25 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound cavatappi pasta
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 8 ounces fancy mushroom mix
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan (about 4 ounces)
- High-quality aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling, optional
Instructions
- Combine the heavy cream, garlic, shallot, 1 tablespoon of the thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, a generous amount of pepper and 1 1/2 cups water in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cremini mushrooms and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat. Stir the pasta a few times quickly, then cover and steam until the pasta is al dente, 9 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fancy mushroom mix, remaining 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of pepper and cook, stirring a few times, until the mushrooms are softened and turning crispy on the bottom, 7 to 8 minutes.
- When the pasta is al dente, turn the heat back to low and stir in the mascarpone, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper until silky and smooth. Leave in the pot to serve, stirring occasionally over low heat, until the sauce is thick and velvety. Garnish in the pot with the crispy mushrooms and a good drizzle of balsamic vinegar, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 646 |
| Total Fat | 42 g |
| Saturated Fat | 25 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 121 mg |
| Sodium | 605 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 646 |
| Total Fat | 42 g |
| Saturated Fat | 25 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 19 g |
| Cholesterol | 121 mg |
| Sodium | 605 mg |
Reviews
I made the recipe exactly as the recipe was written. It was delicious. The only part that was not quite right is that I overcooked the dried gourmet mushrooms. That is a lot of mushroom to put in a pan with 4 T. unsalted butter. I need to practice cooking gourmet mushrooms. It was fine without the extra crusty mushrooms.
I had very high expectations but was sadly disappointed. Altho I rarely follow directions, much less actually measure anything, I was diligent about it all when I tried this dish, especially as I cut the recipe in half for the two of us. I’m sure I must have missed something, but with this method the pasta texture seemed chewy and tasted flat. My only conclusion was that boiling salted water really was important to both properly season and cook pasta. I also missed the pasta water for thinning the sauce if needed. If anyone has any insight as to what I might have missed, please advise.
My local store has mixed mushrooms for $5.49 for .5 oz. Seriously, I would need 16 packages, $90??? What am I missing???
I just watched the video. Fancy mushroom mix is the bag of dried mushrooms. They make a crispy garnish for the dish. She sautées them in oil. Looks very good! I have found them at local pork store or Italian market.
Followed the recipe actually except subbed dry mushrooms for fresh wild. It was delicious!
I don’t know
It looks wonderful, now to figure out how to make it low carb.
“Fancy mushroom” doesn’t necessarily equal the most expensive. My local markets (including chains like Safeway, Albertsons, etc. for west coasters) all carry packages sometimes labeled as Chef’s mix and generally contain Shitake, oyster and trumpet mushrooms. If you want to splurge, and they’re in season, by all means, by chanterelles, though I wouldn’t waste those in this particular application. A mix of cremini (aka baby bellas), shitakis, or any other not-white-button mushrooms will work. The use of the fancy mixed mushrooms looks like it’s primarily aimed at providing a visual and textural element, so use any mushrooms that suit your fancy (and wallet).
The most expensive mushrooms in the store. Shitake, chantrelle, etc. Not your typical white button or Bella.
Are they dried fancy mushrooms?