Tagliatelle ai funghi porcini – Boletus mushrooms and pasta

Funghi porcini – boletus – are justly highly prized for their taste, smell and appearance. Fresh ones like these – bought in the market in Santa Cruz, Tenerife – produce the most wonderful sauce for pasta. Cut them in half, slice them thinly, then sauté with onion, garlic and bacon. The dried porcini you can readily find in supermarkets are not a patch on freshly picked ones but they will do at a pinch along with maybe some chestnut mushrooms. If you know of a simpler, more delicious pasta dish, please let me know.

Ingredients

300g tagliatelle or pappardelle

1 large onion

150g bacon or pancetta

300g porcini

1 clove of garlic

1 bunch of parsley

2tbl olive oil

40g butter

salt and pepper

50ml double cream

parmesan to grate

Method

1. Put a large pan of salted hot water on to boil; heat four serving bowls.

2. Chop the onion, garlic and bacon finely and sauté until soft in the olive oil.

3. Chop the mushrooms into fine slivers and add to the onion mixture with the butter, and sauté until the porcini are soft.

4. Put the pasta on to boil. Finely chop the parsley.

5. Drain the pasta when it is cooked and add the mushroom mixture and the cream, combining them all. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley just before serving.

6. Pass the parmesan.