Mushroom Orecchiette With Gremolata Crumbs
Curb your cravings for pasta with this rich and creamy mushroom orecchiette with gremolata crumbs. Tossed in sauce and the fragrance of mushrooms, this is a perfect weeknight meal to end a tiring day with.
Yield: Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Difficulty Level: 3/5
Ingredients
MUSHROOM ORECCHIETTE
- 30 g butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion (150 g), chopped finely
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ cup (125 ml) white wine
- 200 g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
- 300 ml pouring cream
- 200 g (6½ ounces) sliced pancetta
- 500 g dry orecchiette pasta
GREMOLATA CRUMBS
- 30 g butter
- 1 ciabatta roll (100 g), torn coarsely
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsps chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tsps finely grated lemon rind
Steps
01. Heat butter and oil in a medium frying pan; cook onion and garlic, stirring, for 5 mins or until onion is soft. Add wine to pan; boil, uncovered, until reduced by half. Stir in mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, for 5 mins or until softened. Add cream, stir over medium heat for 2 mins or until thickened slightly. Season to taste; cover to keep warm.
02. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180 C. Place pancetta, in a single layer on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 10 mins or until golden and crisp.
03. Make gremolata crumbs. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; add torn bread and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until bread is golden brown. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and rind.
04. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain, reserving ¼ cup (60 ml) of cooking water. Return pasta to pan.
05. Add hot sauce to pasta; toss gently to combine. If mixture is a little thick, add some of the reserved pasta water. Serve pasta topped with crumbled pancetta, and gremolata crumbs.
TIP You can use button mushrooms for a mild flavour, if you prefer.Recipe is not suitable to freeze. Serve with a green salad.Photo: bauersyndication.com.au