Filled Pasta with Mushroom and Cream Sauce
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Servings
4
There are anywhere from 350 to 600 different pasta shapes, depending on who you ask, with over 1,300 dialect names and new shapes being invented every year. It’s a universe within our universe, with countless galaxies, the gravitational pull of culture and passion, and constellations of stars (recipes). Every day, millions of us are united by a simple act—dropping dried shapes of wheat and flour into boiling water to create dinner.
This recipe is a symphony that takes me straight back to the streets of Florence, specifically to Osteria dei Centopoveri. The roasted chicken stock is optional, of course, but it adds a hint of sauce suprême—umami at its finest, baby!
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 300 g mushrooms (e.g., chestnut and oyster), finely chopped
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- Thyme leaves (fresh)
- 250 g ricotta
- 100 g Parmesan, grated
- 50 ml fresh parsley, minced
- Fresh nutmeg, small grating
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, for cooking
For the sauce:
- 200 g mushrooms (e.g., chestnut), sliced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 300 ml roasted chicken stock (store-bought or homemade)
- 150 ml heavy cream
- 100 ml Parmesan, grated
- Light soy sauce (optional)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, for cooking
- Butter, for cooking
For garnish:
- Watercress
- Chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- Parmesan, grated
Directions
Prepare the filling:
In a large frying pan, cook the chopped mushrooms, shallot, and thyme leaves over medium-high heat in olive oil until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates. Let the mixture cool slightly, then mix with the remaining filling ingredients (ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, nutmeg, salt, and pepper).
Fill the pasta:
Fill your fresh pasta sheets with the mushroom and ricotta filling. Place the filled pasta on a semolina-sprinkled tray, covering it with a damp kitchen towel as you go to prevent it from drying out.
Prepare the sauce:
Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a knob of butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until browned. Add the shallot and garlic, and cook until the shallot is translucent. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock, bringing it to a boil, then add the cream. Let the sauce reduce for about 10 minutes, or until it thickens enough to coat the pasta. Add the optional soy sauce, season lightly with salt and pepper, and adjust to taste.
Cook the pasta:
Cook the filled pasta for about 30 seconds in boiling water, then lift it carefully into the sauce. Add the grated Parmesan and stir gently to coat the pasta with the sauce
Serve:
Serve the pasta on plates, garnishing with watercress, sliced chestnut mushrooms, and additional Parmesan.