Mushroom Bucatini that is not alla "Carbonara"

Disclaimer: Italian cuisine purists, I know this is NOT A REAL CARBONARA. 

But, I borrowed the technique of using raw eggs and want you to know that right up front.  So, until I think of a better name, this stays a little tongue-in-cheek.

Early October always makes me crave Italy and comfort food that is hearty, full of herbs and mushrooms with a thick bucatini pasta. Since I can't hop over this year, I recently created something that suited my craving and included porcini mushrooms and typical autumn herbs.  Just a couple of days after I made this, two great bloggers went on mushroom foraging excursions in their respective regions of Italy.  Yes, I lived vicariously through them but after I'd already made my own dish so the envy wasn't completely overwhelming.  This time of year certainly inspires mushroom fervor in all of us who love the fungus and the famous way Italians celebrate them.  I like to join in the fun, if only in my mind and from another continent.  Here's my second major disclaimer:  NOTHING compares with wild porcini mushrooms.  I think I have heard and read nearly all major chefs say at some point that dried and then re-constituted porcinis are an acceptable substitute.  They are not.  However, when you want some of the porcini flavor and you can't get them right out of the ground, at least you can taste and dream.  (Ever notice how hard it can be to truly imagine a flavor?)  The texture, however, is not even close. And, that makes me sad.  So, rather than using only porcinis and being sad, I used mostly criminis and some porcinis for the hint of flavor and ended up being very happy with the result.  The third major disclaimer in this post is that I'm really mixing things up and using a hungarian spice in an  Italian-style dish.  Therefore, nothing about this is purely Italian and it's all in the spirit of good, creative fun with scrumptious results.

Ingredients:
Serves 2

2 handfulls of bucatini pasta (no more than 1/4 of the pack)
1 tsp sea salt or to taste as you prefer
1 egg, whisked
2 pats unsalted butter
3 T extra virgin olive oil
3 cups fresh crimini mushrooms
2 medium shallots finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely sliced
2 T dried porcini mushrooms, re-consituted (unless you have fresh!!) reserve and strain the water
1 T tomato paste
1 fire-roasted red pepper (fresh or jarred will work)
1/2 tsp sweet hungarian paprika
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 porcini water
2 T fresh oregano, minced
2 tsp fresh chives, minced
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 cup cream
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
parmigiano reggiano and oregano for garnish

Method:

1. First, you need to re-constitute the dried porcinis. Bring a tea-kettle to boil and put the mushrooms in a bowl and pour the water over the mushrooms.  Let steep for at least 20 minutes, until mushrooms are soft.  Remove mushrooms and chop. Strain the porcini water with a fine sieve or tea bag strainer and reserve the porcini water. 

2. Bring a large heavy-bottomed pot of water to boil.  Add sea salt and pasta to the water.  Turn heat down to medium-low and let simmer.

3. While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce.  Heat a large skillet and the extra virgin olive oil on high and add the crimini mushrooms.  Sautee until the mushrooms are a deep dark brown color.  Add the shallots and sautee 1-2 minutes.  Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.  Next, add the paprika, reduce heat to low and cook another 2 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and herbs and mix thoroughly in the pan.  Add wine and the porcini water, reduce heat to low simmer and cook until you have a thick, hearty sauce.  Just before your pasta is at the al dente point, add the roasted red pepper and stir into the sauce.

4. When pasta is done, drain and let cool a few seconds.  Do not rinse with water.  Put the plain pasta back into the large pot you cooked it in and then quickly add the whisked egg and fold into the pasta with large tongs to incorporate and cook the egg.  Add the butter and fold again. You will see it become rich and creamy in texture. 

5. Quickly add the cream to the mushroom sauce and stir.  Then, dump the pasta into the large skillet and toss thoroughly using your tongs to cover the noodles well without breaking the pasta.  Put pasta in a large dish or bowl, garnish with grated parmigiano reggiano and fresh oregano and serve.

Buon Appetito!

Comments

[Danielle]

A Hungarian spice in an Italian dish? Sounds perfect for this month's challenge for The Spice is Right. (More info is available here - http://habeasbrulee.com/2006/10/18/the-spice-is-right-viii-frankensteins-monster/ )

(And I really like that wooden tray you've got in the photo!)

[rowena]

Chefs saying reconstituted 'shrooms are acceptable??!! Ma DAI!!!!! (I think they say that so as to give hope to those who could not possibly ever find fresh ones)

Your "quasi" ;-) carbonara sounds really delicious and I am really piqued by the addition of paprika. My mind started to go on another tangent when you mentioned fresh mushrooms, because you know, I've never seen fresh morels, only dried. I wonder, are they so precious (than porcini) that offering them at the market is impossible? I'll need to research this.

[Stephanie Beack]

Danielle -- indeed I will either use this dish or another one I have in mind for this month's Spice is Right challenge.

Rowena, I definitely think chefs say it to encourage us..I have even heard Mario Batali say it (gasp, horror!!!) once or twice. I grew up with fresh morels. Like porcinis, they are truly INCREDIBLE fresh and nothing at all like dried. Maybe next mushroom season you and I can do a swap -- I'll get my hands on fresh morels in the spring and ship to you and you can ship me porcinis next Fall.

[Mary]

Hi Stephanie, I should know better than to surf food blogs before lunch. Now I'm totally craving mushroom bucatini!

And thanks for visiting my blog. You can use butternut squash puree in the cheesecake as long as your puree is not too wet.

Have a nice weekend!

[Ivonne]

>

That's me fainting after seeing the photo. Just delicious, Stephanie!

[Stephanie Beack]

Mary, welcome to Scrumptious Street. Thanks for visiting! I'll try the recipe out, but I realize I should break down and buy a food processor first... my blender likely won't do it justice. Will try it when I am better-equipped.

Ivonne, so glad you like the photo and fainting at the sight of food is a good thing -- wonder what will happen to you when you make it? :-)