Winter Pasta Recipe: Pine Mushroom Fettuccine with Pecorino
There is always a pasta course on The Zin House menu because Kim believes a meal isn’t complete without it. She uses this same logic with fresh sourdough. That’s why she likes to joke that her mother must have had an Italian lover.
The type of pasta, and what we serve with it, changes with season & garden availability. The amount of cheese served on top, however, is always generous. At home, with no one watching, we’re sure this might even be greater.
Right now on the Zin menu is a pine mushroom fettuccine with pecorino, pangrattato & truffle. We use mushrooms foraged from pine forests near Orange by our good friend The Market Cat. The most common being Saffron Milk Caps, but Slippery Jacks are sometimes found and on very rare occasions, the incredible Purple Wood Blewit. At this moment we are finishing this dish off by shaving fresh local black truffle over the top (but we know this doesn’t constitute a household item for most people).
For those that want to recreate this seasonal, comforting winter dish at home, below we’ve put together a simple recipe for you to follow. The mushroom sauce is also great to use over steak or chicken.
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 160g plain flour
- 90g semolina
- 4 eggs
- 4 tbsps olive oil
- Pinch of salt
For the mushroom sauce:
- 4-5 big flavourful mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 glass of wine (red or white)
- Olive oil
- Fresh thyme
- Chilli (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan (pecorino, fetta & fresh curd also work, or a mix)
METHOD
Making the pasta:
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl until a dough is formed, then knead on your bench until smooth.
- Wrap in cling film and rest for at least 30 mins.
- Divide the dough into smaller pieces and gradually work them through a pasta roller until you reach a 0.5 setting (or until very thin using a hand roller).
- Cut the sheets of pasta into long thin strips using a fettuccine fitting on a pasta roller, or cut by hand using a knife.
- Dust with flour and cover with a tea towel.
Making the sauce:
- Gently remove any dirt from the mushrooms using a cloth, then thinly slice. Finely dice the onions and garlic.
- In a fry pan heat about two tablespoons of olive oil and add the mushrooms, onion and garlic, stir until starting to brown.
- Add a good sprinkling of fresh thyme, chilli (if you like), salt and pepper and stir another minute.
- Deglaze the mushroom mixture by adding a glass of wine (both red or white will work) and reduce until the liquid in the pan is saucy.
To compile:
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, adding a generous pinch of salt.
- Add your pasta to the boiling water, stirring immediately after dropping into the water, and cook for about 3 minutes (this depends on the thickness of your pasta, but fresh pasta usually only takes a few minutes).
- Strain the pasta once cooked and keep some of the cooking water.
- Add your pasta to the pan with the mushroom sauce, then add a little of the pasta water and combine it all together on a medium heat for two minutes, or until the consistency is to your liking. Add seasoning if needed.
- Tip into your serving bowls and top with parmesan, pecorino, fetta or fresh curd (use a mix of your favourites, or whatever you have on hand). Drizzle with a little more extra virgin olive oil and enjoy!
Recipe by Stefano Burlando & Kim Currie, Words by Bronte Currie, Photos by Tim White.