Scrumptious Street

Fresh Summer Potato Gnocchi

Gnocchi is a wonderful dish that somehow, people tend to forget when they make Italian dinners.  I love it because of its diversity, heartiness and versatility.  More than pasta, it really absorbs the flavors you use with it.  If you can make it fresh yourself, all the better.  But if not, make sure to buy a quality fresh Italian brand.  I like vacuum-packed and fresh, instead of frozen.  The difference between "good" and "bad" is immense and comes down to gummy/pasty or light and pillowy.  This was a fantastic spontaneous gnocchi dish, celebrating the best of summer Italian flavors.  Here's my  "Summer Gnocchi with Fresh Caprino Tomato Sauce and Pistachios".

A few touches were crucial to this dish, and they truly were not only scrumptious but also sumptuous. The fresh Caprino cheese was the star for this sauce.  It is a mild, delicate and very creamy goat's milk cheese that made this sauce light but decadent-tasting.  the pistachios I used were fresh Sicilian with an intense flavor and gorgeous color.  The basil I used is from my balcony planter, and it's my favorite Bush Basil.  I love how it's more fragrant and flavorful than Italian basil and easier to grow in containers.    The fresh fennel too, is a very important component.  Instead of onions I used it to create a summery and fresh taste for the base of the sauce.  The green curlycue you see is a garlic scape and I love its soft and subtle garlic taste. 

Another note about this dish: rather than make my sauce with olive oil, which is usually my choice, I used good unsalted butter here.  I wanted the velvety texture of butter and since gnocchi is made from potatoes, I usually prefer butter-based sauces with it.  It's your choice, but if you're wanting the silkiest texture, use good butter in this one.

Here's my recipe

Ingredients
Serves 2

1 lb. fresh gnocchi
2 T. unsalted butter
1/2 bulb (about 1 cup) fresh fennel, diced
1 garlic scape or clove, minced
2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
3/4 oz. Caprino Fresco cheese or other fresh delicate goat's milk cheese
Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1/4 c. Sicilian pistachios, chopped
2 T. fresh bush basil, minced

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boiling and salt lightly. 

2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the fennel and garlic scape and saute until the fennel turns transluscent.  Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften.

3. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water and cook just until the gnocchi floats to the surface, about 3 minutes.

4. Stir the Caprino cheese into the sauce gently, melting and incorporating it thoroughly.  When the gnocchi is finished cooking, skim it from the boiling water and add directly to the sauce.  You may need to use a ladle of water as well if the tomatoes are not too juicy.  Toss the gnocchi and sauce well, until thick and creamy.  Add the pistachios and basil, toss again and serve immediately.

This is my favorite dish of the summer so far.  Enjoy! Try to find the Caprino, it's incredible!

Hot Italian-style Giardiniera

I've been scrambling to get the best out of the Farmer's Markets before they close down for the season.  Although here in Northern California there are many stands open year-round, one can only eat so much kale and brussels sprouts.  So in the last few weeks of great produce, I've been stocking up on goodies. 

One thing I love but had never made before is the classic pickled Italian antipasto or salad condiment, Giardiniera.  My best friend here in the Bay Area is Italian and casually mentioned it to me one day recently.  That was enough to inflame a craving so I decided it was time to try my hand at such a simple but yummy food. Here's my first spin at "Hot Italian-style Giardiniera."

Now, I like tart foods.  And, I like spicy foods.  But this stuff can be positively addicting with its tartness, saltiness, spicy goodness.  It's perfect to eat with something rich like leftover roast beef sandwiches, Italian salumi or even as part of a lovely rice salad.  You can also alter it to use any kind of vegetables you like.  Carrots, Celery, Cauliflower, Onions, Olives, Sweet Peppers are standard but you can go in any number of directions with your favorite salad-type vegetables.  So, let out your creativity and give it a try!

Here's my initial recipe, which I will be altering in coming months.  This is based on another recipe I'd seen and had way too much salt.  I cut back, but still it wasn't right.  Still very edible, but it needed to be eaten with something fatty to not be too harsh.  Stay tuned, I'll post a perfected recipe later.

For now, we can start with:

Ingredients
Serves 10

3 small serrano chiles, de-seeded and chopped
6 scallions, chopped, white and light-green only, chopped
2 c. fresh cauliflower florets
6-8 pepperoncini, diced
1 orange bell pepper, small dice
1 celery stalk, small dice
6-8 baby carrots, small dice
2 cloves garlic, whole and peeled
1/4 c. kosher salt
1 T. dried oregano
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. celery seeds
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, whole
6-8 large meaty green olives, pitted and chopped
1 c. white vinegar (should use white wine vinegar instead)
1 c. extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1.  Combine all vegetables in a large glass bowl.  Dissolve salt in 2 cups water, pour over vegetables and add enough additional water to complete cover the vegetables.  Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.

2. The next day, drain and rinse the vegetables and pat dry.  Rinse bowl and place the dried vegetables pack in the bowl.  Mix all the spices, olives, oil and vinegar.  Pour over the vegetables and gently stir to cover.  Allow to marinate in the refrigerator at least 48 hours before eating, stirring with a large spoon every few hours.

3. Eat with salad, meaty sandwiches, or antipasto platter with Italian meats, cheeses and crackers or crostini.

Next time, I'll improve a bit on the salting process and also let it wait even longer before eating.  I'll likely make enough to preserve several jars as well.  In the meantime, this looks like a decent recipe.

Fresh Fettuccine Part II: The Dish

This is part two of my first fresh pasta making experience, you can read about making the pasta dough in my previous post.

After all that hard work, I had built up an appetite and was famished!  I decided to give the fettuccine a light treatment because I really wanted to be able to taste the noodles to evaluate my performance and didn't want a heavy sauce to obscure the pasta.  Since pasta is so versatile, there are thousands of potential variations.  If you go to the trouble of making the fresh pasta, make sure you dress it well!

I had added freshly ground black pepper to my pasta dough so that it already had a little perky kick to it.  The weather in New York was unseasonably warm this weekend-- it felt like May! So, I was craving a spring-like treatment to complement the freshness of the pasta.  This recipe REALLY worked.  I was exhausted but so happy that it turned out great.

The arugula picks up and plays on the black pepper as I intended.  The red pepper flakes continue the theme with a little more zip and pop.  But, it's not fiery or hot at all, it's just got three kinds of peppery zing for depth.  I added tomatoes and lemons for acid to cut the bite and added porcini mushrooms for a little body and texture so it was a meal rather than a snack.  The lemon zest and parmigiano reggiano add salty and fresh touches. The pasta itself came out perfectly.  It was thin and delicate and softly structured.  I was shocked, given how much I struggled with the dough. I really thought it would be chewy and rubbery.  It was perfect ribbons that tasted so wholesome.  This recipe is really excellent.  I would be thrilled if you make (or buy) fresh fettuccine and let me know what you think of my "Black Pepper Fettucine with Lemon, Arugula and Porcini Mushrooms."

Buon appetito!

Ingredients:
Serves 4 as entree or 6 as appetizer

3/4 lb. fresh fettuccine
1 T. sea salt
1/4 c. dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 clove garlic
2 fresh, ripe plum tomatoes
1/2 small onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 lemon, zested and cut in half for juice
5-6 T. extra virgin olive oil, high quality
1/4 c. parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
1/4 c. fresh arugula, washed and chopped

Method:
1. Bring a very large stockpot of water to boil on your largest burner.  Use the pasta insert if you have one. While you're waiting for the water, prep and chop all the vegetables.

2. Put the dried mushrooms, 1/2 clove garlic and kosher salt in a small bowl.  Bring a kettle of water to boil and pour over the mushrooms, letting them steep to re-constitute for about 20 minutes. Drain and chop the mushrooms roughly.

3. When water is up to boil and the mushrooms are done, in a large skillet heat 3 T. of olive oil on medium heat.  Saute the garlic and onion, stirring for a couple of minutes until the onion turns transluscent. Add the tomatoes, the red pepper flakes and squeeze the lemons and their juice into the skillet.  Stir thoroughly.

4. At this point, the water should be boiling.  Add the sea salt to the boiling water and gently lower the fresh fettuccine into the water.  It will only take 1-2 minutes and is done when the pasta begins floating toward the surface of the water.

5. Add the arugula and lemon zest to the sauce and stir to incorporate.  Cook another minute or so until the pasta is done.

6. Pull the pasta out of the water with the basket or strain it in a colander.  Add the pasta directly into the skillet with the sauce and toss gently with a pair of tongs.  Add the grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, sprinkle another 2-3 T. olive oil over the pasta and toss lightly.  Use the tongs to plate the pasta and garnish with a little more cheese, lemon zest and arugula if desired.  Serve immediately.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did at Scrumptious Street!

Fresh Fettuccine Part I: The Pasta

Santa was very generous this year and brought me a stunning KitchenAid Professional Stand Mixer.  I
have always wanted one and am giddy at the new addition.  Santa's helper was also very well-coordinated and encouraged the addition of the pasta roller attachment set for the KitchenAid.  I am absolutely thrilled with these new tools, they're so beautiful and feel like such a luxury.  Today, I gave them their maiden voyage and decided it was time to try my hand at making fresh pasta.  I had never done it before today.

Wow, is it true that you learn from mistakes! It's been such a long time since I was trying something completely unchartered, that I felt uncertain as I progressed. I also have some very important things to convey to anyone else who may be toying with making fresh pasta for the first time.  Of course, I based my recipe on Mario Batali again, but had to improvise a little due to inexperience...

First, it takes time and is hard work! I expected two hours which was about right.  But, I completely ruined my first attempt, so altogether it took me about four hours because I had to do it twice.  (sheepish grin)

The next thing I'll say is that my first attempt failed for two reasons.  Firstly, my dough was too dry and even though I suspected it, I continued on anyway and persevered, figuring it would work itself out.  Secondly, I followed the booklet with the pasta attachments and actually used the mixer itself to work the dough the first 3 minutes.  I think that was a critical mistake and I could never get the dough right after that.  So, while I love, love LOVE my mixer I will boldly recommend this:  don't use it to actually mix pasta dough, unless you've done it so much you know how to get it perfect.  Even though I was wary of working the dough too much, I think there was just no way to avoid it.  I used the paddle hook beater for the first 30 seconds of mixing the eggs and flour and then switched to the dough hook and mixed for 3 minutes.  I then pulled it out and started kneading by hand.  I kneaded that dough for almost 15 minutes and it was still the consistency of old Play-Doh no matter what I did.  So, I chucked that batch in the trash and started over.  By hand.  Using the old-fashioned well method, much like I did recently for the gnocchi.  By the way, gnocchi dough is MUCH easier.  The pasta dough seems more temperamental and is also very intense work in the hands, wrists and forearms.  I feel like I developed carpal tunnel syndrome in just one afternoon! Also, I am about 5'5" tall and when I got tired, on my second batch the last 5 minutes of kneading, I actually pulled out a step-stool to get some leverage and body weight into the kneading of the dough.  Whew!

Chef Batali details his recipe in Molto Italiano, with a decent overview.  However, I found that if I literally interpreted his recipe, my dough still had problems.  So, I adjusted the recipe by including an additional egg and I added a little fresh black pepper for more flavor.  When it came to rolling out the dough, I followed his basic advice but again, developed my own rhythm and repetitions for sending the dough through the rollers.  Regardless, if you make fresh pasta for the first time prepare yourself for a learning experience and that you'll probably waste a lot of dough.  As you know I completely tossed out my first batch.  On my second batch, I probably only got good fettuccine out of half the dough and the other half either tore, wrinkled, ripped apart or had some other handling or thiness/rolling issue.  But, the next time I make it, I will definitely know what I'm doing!

So, in the successful method I did it all by hand up until rolling the dough and then, I used the stand mixer and pasta attachments.  The attachments are FANTASTIC, by the way.

Here was my recipe, adapted from Mario Batali.  Be aware that humidity, your flour and the size and quality of your eggs will really affect the dough.  You may use anywhere from 4-6 eggs for this, if you find the dough is still crumbling apart when you try to begin kneading with your hands, form the well again and add another egg.

Makes about 1 1/4 pounds of pasta

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
6 eggs (the recipe recommended 5, but my dough wouldn't hold together until I added a sixth egg)
2 T. freshly ground black pepper

Basic method:

1. Mound the flour in the center of a large wooden board or non-stick countertop.  Make a well in the center and crack the eggs into the well.  Beat the eggs together with a fork.  Add the black pepper to the eggs and beat with the fork again.  Now, begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.  As you pull more flour into the center well, keep pushing the flour up around the outside to retail the well shape.  Think of it as making a fortress and you're building from the inside.  When half the dough is incorporated the dough will begin to come together.  Start kneading the dough, using primarily the palms of your hands.  If the dough keeps breaking apart or flaking apart, you may need to add another egg.  If you do that, make a well again!  Beat the egg with a fork again, like the first time.  The well method is crucial to getting a little bit of the egg into the flour or dough at a time.  Thus, the reason I don't think a mixer can do it as good as the ol' hands. Once the dough is a cohesive mass, set the dough aside and scrape up and discard any dried bits of dough.

2. Lightly flour your work surface and continue kneading for at least 10 minutes, dusting the surface with a little bit of flour as necessary.  The dough should be pretty firm and elastic most of the time.  When you finally have it in one nice ball that is quite elastic, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.  This resting is critical, when you unwrap it the dough will have softened and that is what you want.  Do not knead it back into tension before rolling out.  You need it somewhat soft. If after 30 minutes, it still feels very tight, cover again and wait another 15-20 minutes.

3. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and wrap three of them again in plastic. Flatten the piece of dough into a burger shape that is somewhat thicker in the middle and about 1/4 inch thick at the edges.

4. Set the flat pasta roller attachment to the widest setting and dust rollers with a little flour to make sure the dough won't stick. Do not use more flour as you go along unless you dough does stick.  If you use too much flour, the pasta will become too dry.  Fire up the mixer and get the rollers cranking and begin feeding the dough into the slot between the rollers. For me, it worked best to feed in the top with my left hand and catch the dough from the underside of the rollers in the palm my right hand.  Make sure you don't tear it and don't pull the dough through.  You also may have to pinch it at the top to get it thin enough to continue through the rollers.  Too thick and it'll go nowhere.

Fold the dough in thirds, flatten it with your palms and roll it out again.  Repeat this process 5 times, then set the rollers to the next-thinnest setting and repeat about 6 times again on that setting.  Here's another place I diverged from the recipe.  It encourages the folding between each repetition.  I found that my dough was destroyed by the time I got through to the thinnest settings if I folded so much.  So, after getting the hang of it, I settled on folding just the first couple times through and then every other time, it fit perfectly in the rollers and I just shipped it through each time.  You will have to experiment with your own rhythm and reps.  Also, as I fed the dough in the top once it started going I folded it over the backside of the attachment as you see in the photos.  This helped keep it aligned and "between the rails" if you will.  Otherwise, it would get crooked and then wrinkle and tear.

5. After the first two settings, switch to the third setting and roll the dough through three times, since it's getting more delicate.  If the pasta sheet becomes too long to work with easily, cut it in half width-wise and continue rolling the pieces.  They will still work out to 10-12 inches long if your dough is right.  Roll the dough out through the progressively thinner settings without folding, until you have reached the thinnest or next-to-thinnest setting.  Support the sheets from underneath and let them lay along your forearm from elbow to wrist.  (This was my own discovery and worked like a charm, especially for those of us with small hands and arms. I am no Mario Batali!!!)

6. Trim the dough sheets to have even, uniform edges and let them dry on cooling racks or over the back of chairs, aerating the sheets as they dry.  Continue the steps above for the remaining three quadrants of dough that you originally divided.

7. When the dough is all rolled and dried, attach the fettuccine cutter attachment to your mixer and send each sheet through the cutter, catching it delicately with one hand as you feed it through with the other. Again, let the uncut portion lie over the back of the attachment for alignment and less pressure on the dough. If you don't have the cutter attachment, you can brush your sheets of pasta lightly with flour, roll them up and use a sharp knife to cut them into 1/4 inch wide strips.

 

8. After all the pasta has been cut, spread it out on the racks to dry a little more and gently bend them into a u-shape so that when you cook them, they don't snap in half. 

It a was tiring and fascinating experience, I haven't learned so much from trial and error in the kitchen in a very long time. But, ultimately, it was so much fun!  Sitting here tonight, however, my forearms and wrists are positively aching.  No wonder those Italian women have such thick and strong forearms!

Next post, I'll show you how I cooked the pasta...it was worth ALL the work and turned out exquisitely.

 

Making Gnocchi Part II: The Dish

My previous post showed how to make the gnocchi and detailed the recipe through cooking the gnocchi the first time.  After all that fun and inspiration with Mr. Scrumptious, and while still in the festive holiday mood we wanted something special, rich and creamy. This is an excellent occasion recipe, which I created by starting with one of my favorites, gorgonzola cheese, and working in some additional gentle and warm flavors.  Here is my "Gorgonzola Cream Gnocchi with Grapes and Walnuts".

Ingredients:
Serves 4 as main course or 8 as appetizer

Gnocchi from Mario Batali's Basic Gnocchi recipe, cooked first time
2 T. sea salt
.30 lb gorgonzola cheese (Stilton would be a decent substitute)
1/2 c. to 3/4 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. fig jam or confit
2 T. lemon juice
2 c. seedless red grapes, cut into quarters
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
1 tsp. fresh oregano, minced
freshly ground black pepper, one grind per serving

Method:
1. Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot and add 2 tablespoons of sea salt.

2. Meanwhile, in a 10-12 inch sauté pan, very gently melt the gorgonzola cheese and add the heavy cream.  Adjust cream to desired consistency as you go, it will be somewhere between 1/2 c. and 1 cup.

3. In another small saucepan, combine the fig jam, and lemon juice, stir to incorporate and gently melt the jam and juice, aiming for a very smooth consistency.

4. When the large pot is boiling, add the gnocchi and cook until they float to the surface of the pot, about 3-4 minutes.  Pull out of the pot with a slotted spoon or spider skimmer and gently add them to the sauté pan with the gorgonzola cream sauce.  Stir gently with a wooden spoon to coat all gnocchi evenly.

5. Drop the grapes into the saucepan with the fig jam and toss gently, just heating the grapes through but not cooking.

6. Turn off all burners and plate the gnocchi.  Spoon the grapes and sauce on top of the gnocchi.  Garnish with the oregano, chopped walnuts and black pepper and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!
Happy New Year everyone, I'll be back in January, with highlights from our New Year's Eve Party at Scrumptious Street.  Hope you all have a great celebration!

Making Gnocchi Part I: The Gnocchi

Even though I'm not of Italian blood, I feel Italian.  Or, more precisely, Sicilian.  I was born under the volcano, Mount Etna, in a tiny town called Motta Santa Anastasia.  In childhood, I was fascinated with my foreign birthplace and longed to go.  I finally made my pilgrimage there when I was 21 years old and have visited a few times since. It is one of my favorite countries in the world.  I love the culture, the passionate people, the delicious food, the focus on quality and process and the intensity with which Italians live their lives.  I am a fiery kindred soul that has nothing to do with heritage and everything to do with spirit.

During Christmas, it is a tradition in many Italian families that all women hands are called to the deck to make homemade gnocchi.

I have never participated in the tradition, but have dreamed of it and this year, decided we'd try it out at Scrumptious Street.  It turned out perfectly and was so much fun.  I cannot thank my darling husband enough for shooting the beautiful photos of the process.  He's an excellent photographer and he perfectly captured every step in the making of the gnocchi.  Thanks, Mr. Scrumptious!

Having never made it before and not wanting to blow it, I thought it best to turn to Mario Batali for the gnocchi recipe and used his "Basic Gnocchi or Gnocchi di Patate" from my beloved Molto Italiano cookbook. This recipe worked perfectly but I used a ricer instead of a food mill, to great effect.  As well, I used a bench knife to cut the dough and the gnocchi pieces. It was vital to the success of this recipe, make sure you have one.  Mine has a ruler on the edge of it so that you can easily measure to 3/4 inch diameter. I did make the mistake of cutting the gnocchi too large, they were delicious but very filling.  I recommend you roll and cut yours even smaller.

Here's Mr. Batali's recipe, which was perfect!
Ingredients:
Serves 4 as a main course, 8 as an appetizer

3 lbs. russet potatoes
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 extra-large egg
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. canola oil

Method:
1. Put the potatoes in a large pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook at a low boil until the potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes, drain.

2. While they are still warm, peel the potatoes, then pass them through a vegetable mill (I used a ricer and it was perfect) onto a clean work surface.

3. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 1 tablespoon salt.  Set up an ice bath nearby.  Make a well in the center of the potatoes and sprinkle them all over with the flour.  Break the egg into the center of the well, add the salt, and using a fork, blend the egg and salt together.  Using the fork, begin to incorporate the flour and potatoes as if you were making pasta.  Once the dough begins to come together, begin kneading it gently until it forms a ball.  Knead gently for another 4 minutes, or until the dough is dry to the touch.

 

4. Divide the dough into 6 balls.  Roll one ball into a rope 3/4 inch in diameter and cut it into 1-inch pieces.  Roll each piece down the back of a fork to create the characteristic ridges. 

Drop the gnocchi into boiling water and cook until they float to the surface, about 1-3 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the gnocchi to the ice bath.  Repeat with the remaining dough, replenishing the ice as necessary.

5. When all the gnocchi have been cooked and cooled in the ice bath, drain them and transfer to a bowl.  Toss with the oil.  The gnocchi can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

Next posting will feature the dish I made cooking the gnocchi here.  Stay tuned.

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!