This is a lovely pasta dish that I discovered while watching some TV show, and it wasn't a cooking program. I don't remember the name or the context, but some guy was waiting for some girl to come home and he was trying to say sorry for a fight or something.
I have no clue. It was just something I came across while flicking channels.
What caught my attention (and I secretly hope it caught her attention too) was the pasta dish that he placed on the well laid table when she entered the door. I immediately put down the remote and tried to make out what was on that plate of penne and penitence, despite the director's inconsideration for the hungry few viewers out there.
From what I could make out, there were mushrooms and what might have been prosciutto, and a creamy sauce. I may not have known what they had been fighting about, I may never know whether they made up or not, but I knew at that moment I needed to eat that pasta dish. Penne, Mushrooms, Prosciutto and cream ...
This is an extremely easy and delicious pasta to make. For two people you will need:
Start by preparing your pasta, the sauce takes far less time than boiling pasta. Set the water to boil, then begin slicing up your mushrooms. Don't make them too thin, or they will just become floppy.
Next, chop up your garlic. If you are using garlic powder, you will need about one teaspoon.
Once your water is boiling, toss your pasta in the pot. It should take 8-10 minutes, which is perfect time to make the sauce and have everything ready at the same moment.
To start the sauce, add your butter to a hot pan.
Add your garlic to the butter and let it roast for a few minutes, then add your mushrooms and toss them around so that they are well coated in butter and garlic. Let them cook for about five minutes, undisturbed.
While the mushrooms are cooking, you can cut your prosciutto. Basically, we want it to be small and easy to bite into without having to cut or tear pieces on the plate. Sometimes I just roll up my prosciutto and go at it with a pair of scissors, but a knife and cutting board works just as well.
Once your mushrooms are tender, we are going to wrap up the sauce very quickly. We don't want the prosciutto to overcook, so just before your pasta is done (taste it and it should be quite firm in the center by soft on the outside, signifying another one to two minutes of cooking), add the prosciutto to the mushrooms and get them nicely mixed around.
Finally, add the crème frâiche and a teaspoon of grated parmesan, and mix everything well. Let the mushrooms and prosciutto sit in the crème frâiche for a few minutes while you drain your pasta. Make sure your pasta is well drained, and then add it directly to the pan with the sauce and mix everything together. You can add some salt and papper to taste if you like, but be careful with the salt. Taste first ... the prosciutto is going to contribute quite a lot to the saltiness of the dish already.
Finally, plate and serve with some freshly grated parmesan. Good to go!
See, I was really not exaggerating about how easy it is; the most difficult part is cutting prosciutto. And it takes as long to make the sauce as it take you to cook the pasta. What more could you ask for?
*Tip: Don't throw away your unused mushrooms or prosciutto, refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use them.
I have no clue. It was just something I came across while flicking channels.
What caught my attention (and I secretly hope it caught her attention too) was the pasta dish that he placed on the well laid table when she entered the door. I immediately put down the remote and tried to make out what was on that plate of penne and penitence, despite the director's inconsideration for the hungry few viewers out there.
From what I could make out, there were mushrooms and what might have been prosciutto, and a creamy sauce. I may not have known what they had been fighting about, I may never know whether they made up or not, but I knew at that moment I needed to eat that pasta dish. Penne, Mushrooms, Prosciutto and cream ...
- 3-4 medium brown mushrooms*
- About two strips of prosciutto*
- Three tablespoons of Crème Fraîche
- One clove of garlic
- A tablespoon of butter
- Some grated parmesan
- Penne or other small pasta
Start by preparing your pasta, the sauce takes far less time than boiling pasta. Set the water to boil, then begin slicing up your mushrooms. Don't make them too thin, or they will just become floppy.
Next, chop up your garlic. If you are using garlic powder, you will need about one teaspoon.
Once your water is boiling, toss your pasta in the pot. It should take 8-10 minutes, which is perfect time to make the sauce and have everything ready at the same moment.
To start the sauce, add your butter to a hot pan.
Add your garlic to the butter and let it roast for a few minutes, then add your mushrooms and toss them around so that they are well coated in butter and garlic. Let them cook for about five minutes, undisturbed.
While the mushrooms are cooking, you can cut your prosciutto. Basically, we want it to be small and easy to bite into without having to cut or tear pieces on the plate. Sometimes I just roll up my prosciutto and go at it with a pair of scissors, but a knife and cutting board works just as well.
Once your mushrooms are tender, we are going to wrap up the sauce very quickly. We don't want the prosciutto to overcook, so just before your pasta is done (taste it and it should be quite firm in the center by soft on the outside, signifying another one to two minutes of cooking), add the prosciutto to the mushrooms and get them nicely mixed around.
Finally, add the crème frâiche and a teaspoon of grated parmesan, and mix everything well. Let the mushrooms and prosciutto sit in the crème frâiche for a few minutes while you drain your pasta. Make sure your pasta is well drained, and then add it directly to the pan with the sauce and mix everything together. You can add some salt and papper to taste if you like, but be careful with the salt. Taste first ... the prosciutto is going to contribute quite a lot to the saltiness of the dish already.
Finally, plate and serve with some freshly grated parmesan. Good to go!
See, I was really not exaggerating about how easy it is; the most difficult part is cutting prosciutto. And it takes as long to make the sauce as it take you to cook the pasta. What more could you ask for?
*Tip: Don't throw away your unused mushrooms or prosciutto, refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use them.
As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!
Whipped up by Shyamal Addanki
Whipped up by Shyamal Addanki
