Tagliatelle with Seared Mushrooms, Bacon & Parmesan

❄LG,BE’s 12 Days of Christmas❄

🌟Day 5🌟

If you’ve been around me for a while, you know that I have, and will always be, a mushroom fanatic. They are an incredibly versatile ingredient in the kitchen and lend themselves to many recipes for a number of reasons; they add an unreplicated and unique flavour profile than most vegetables and is often considered to have the ultimate umami flavour.

For this reason, they are a solid addition or main star of many vegetarian dishes because the flavour is described as savoury, meat-like (depending on the variety), and can absorb most flavours that you cook alongside it.

I really love using mushrooms in pasta and there are so many instances where I realize that the small amount of texture I’m looking for can be accomplished with a perfectly seared mushroom which is exactly what this dish calls for. Using other savoury ingredients such as bacon, an aged cheese like parmesan or pecorino, is a way to enhance not only the natural flavour of a mushroom but is a missed opportunity to build flavour in one pan which is everybody’s guilty pleasure in the kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled (pancetta could be substituted here as well)
• 2 cups of sliced mushrooms, varieties can differ
  • I used a mix of cremini, oyster mushrooms, and a Korean shimeji variety I found at FarmBoy 🤷🏼‍♀️
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 slices of garlic, minced finely
• 1-2 tbsp of white wine, or chicken/vegetable broth
• Zest of full lemon
• 2-3 tbsp of of freshly squeezed lemon juice,
• 3-5 tbsp of softened unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water
• Tagliatelle, or another long form of flat noodle like fettuccini, linguine, pappardelle even
  • I’m not gonna tell you how to measure pasta — go with how hungry you’re feeling and be prepared for leftovers
• Olive oil, salt, pepper
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup of fresh parmesan cheese
• Chives, for garnish
• Truffle oil, for garnish (optional)

I like to start this recipe by getting water in a pot on the stove and bringing to a boil for the pasta. At the same time, get a large pan on the stove and heat to medium with no oil in the pan. Add your chopped raw bacon and saute until golden brown and rendered. If the bacon grease starts to splatter too much, then reduce heat and continue to stir to ensure it does not burn. When cooked to your desired crispiness, remove using a slotted spoon and leave any bacon grease remaining in the pan.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and allow a minute or two for the pan to come to temperature – if you are unsure, take one mushroom and drop it in the pan; if it sizzles loudly then it is ready. Instead of discarding the bacon grease, we are using it to add flavour!!! Mushrooms will absorb that flavour since they really do act like mini sponges.

LG,BE chef note: The key to cooking mushrooms correctly is to sear them on a higher heat similar to how you would sear a piece of protein. When you sear mushrooms in a frying pan, you are essentially trying to lock in the moisture (mushrooms are made up of mostly water) by having the vegetable seize when it hits the pan instead of letting it cook on a lower temperature which would draw out moisture slowly over a longer period of time. Sear = texture + flavour at the same time.

You also want to refrain from disturbing the mushrooms by stirring them too often. A hard sear and a golden colour requires patience, so only move the mushrooms after about every 1 minute or so. You also want to refrain from seasoning the mushrooms immediately with salt and this will draw the moisture out of the mushrooms much quicker and will prevent a sear. Eventually, they will need to release some of their water content and that's okay - usually that is the indicator I use to tell me to season. 

Cook the mushrooms for about 6-8 minutes on medium-high heat or until majority of them have been seared and they begin to release their moisture. When you see this occur, add the chopped white onion and garlic to the pan and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add a drizzle of olive oil if you feel that the pan is too dry.

Season this mixture with salt and pepper to your desired taste. When browning begins to build at the bottom of the pan (the fond), add the wine or chicken broth to the pan to deglaze and drop the heat to low-medium ensuring the wine cooks out, about 2-3 minutes.

When your pasta water begins to boil, season with about a tablespoon of fine salt and drop your pasta. Cook the tagliatelle for 8-10 minutes or according to box instructions until al dente, and stirring often to ensure the pasta does not stick together. Before straining the tagliatelle, reserve at least a 1/2 cup of the starchy water for later use.

Using tongs, add your pasta into the pan with the mushroom and onion mixture and begin to toss everything together. Next, add the zest of the lemon, lemon juice, half of the parmesan cheese and about half of the softened butter to the pan. Continue to toss together on low heat to coat the pasta generously. Repeat this step with the rest of the parmesan cheese and butter and then add a splash of the reserved pasta water to create a creamy consistency for the pan sauce.

LGBE chef note: This water is liquid gold! The starch released during the cooking process of the pasta acts as natural thickener without having to rely on other thickening agents such as flour or heavy cream. 

When mixed with the fat from the butter and cheese, a silky and homogenized pan sauce for your pasta will develop when cooked at a low heat and with lots of agitation (stirring or consistent tossing of the pasta). I always recommend reserving some pasta water as you'll never know when it could come in handy.   

Lastly, add in the crispy pieces of bacon (we do this last to ensure they maintain their texture) and toss altogether one last time.

Go crazy with your garnish by adding some fresh herbs, extra lemon zest, additional grated parmesan cheese and even some red chilli flakes for a little heat. If you have any truffle oil in your pantry , I also highly recommend drizzling some of that on your pasta at the very end to enhance everything.

Peace and good eats, as always.
-A❄