The Simplest of Pasta Dishes

Need something warm, comforting, and delicious that takes less than 20 minutes to prepare?

Try this simple, clean, pasta dish - Porcini and Pecorino Cheese Spaghettoni

This receipe is made with porcini mushrooms but you could subsistute portabello, mini portabello or even button mushrooms if that what you have on hand. I used dried porcini which were hard to find in the little rural town I live in. I reconstituted the mushroom by adding hot water and letting them soak for 10 minutes.

Then, heat a pot of water on the stove and add salt, bring to a boil.

While the water is heating up, heat olive oil in a frying pan. Add a few crushed pepercorns and sautee for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms and sautee a few minutes until soft.

Keep the water the mushrooms soaked in for later.

Once the water comes to a boil, add the noodles and cook for 10-12 minutes. My store did not carry spaghettoni, which is a thicker noodle than spaghetti, so I used bucatini noodles.

Try to find a product of Italy! Abruzzo is a city in Tuscany (Toscana).

Cook the noodles al dente - meaning still slightly chewy, not too soft as the noodles will continue to cook in the sauce.

Reserve a ladle-full of pasta water and then drain the noodles from the water.

Add the noodles to the pan with the mushrooms and mix gently together.

Then add one ladle of the pasta water - this will help to create the sauce. I also added one ladle full of the mushroom broth for additional flavor.

Next add 1.5 cups of finely grated pecorino cheese. This cheese is made from sheep's milk and it is surprising how much easier this can be on the digestion than cow-based cheeses.

I brought this block of cheese back from my recent visit to Tuscany. Amazing!

Add the grated cheese to the pasta and gently combine until the cheese had melted. You can add a little more water or broth if needed. Eat immediately as this type of dish will cool quickly and you do not want to overcook the noodles in the microwave.

Serve with a green salad (insalada mista), wine (vino) and crusty bread (pane).

I will share with you a receipe for a really easy and delicous loaf of Italian bread soon!

Check out my beautiful new plates from Montepulicano!