- 12g dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- A bunch of spring onions
- 2 garlic cloves
- 200g portobello mushrooms
- 200g chestnut mushrooms
- 45g butter
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 200g chifferini pasta
- A handful of wild garlic
- 300ml boiling water
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Measuring jug
- Large pan with a lid
- Large frying pan with lid
- baking tray (optional)
- 1.
Fill your kettle and boil it. Pop the dried porcini mushrooms into a heatproof jug and pour over enough hot water to cover the mushrooms. Let them soak for 5 mins, then drain and rinse them under cold water. Put them back in the jug and pour in 300ml hot water from the kettle. Crumble in the stock cube and stir to dissolve it.
- 2.
Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Trim the roots and any ragged greens off the spring onions. Finely chop the spring onions, white and green parts. Peel and finely chop or crush the garlic. Tear the portobello and chestnut mushrooms into small pieces.
- 3.
Warm a large frying pan on a medium heat. Add the butter and swirl it round the pan to melt it. Add the spring onions, garlic and mushrooms and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry, stirring often, for 8 mins till juicy and golden looking.
- 4.
Add 2 tbsp plain flour to the mushrooms. Cook and stir for 2 mins.
- 5.
Pour in the porcini mushroom stock, bring to the boil, then pop a lid on the pan (or use a baking tray if you don’t have a lid). Turn the heat down a little and simmer for 6-8 mins, stirring every now and then. The sauce should thicken a little.
- 6.
The water in the large pan should be boiling by now. Add the chifferini pasta to the boiling water and simmer for 8 mins till tender but still with a little bite.
- 7.
While the pasta and mushrooms cook, roughly chop the wild garlic. Stir it into the mushroom sauce to wilt. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- 8.
Scoop a mugful of cooking water out of the pasta pan (mind your fingers, or use a ladle). Drain the pasta and add it to the mushroom sauce. Stir to mix, trickling in a little of the pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Taste and add a pinch more salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Divide the pasta between 2 warm bowls and serve.