Creamy Mushroom Mafaldine Pasta

This recipe is inspired by the “Mafalde ai Funghi” at Gusto 101 in Toronto – a delightfully creamy truffle pasta that’s well-known as one of the most popular in the city (and one of my all-time favourites) The earthy richness of the mushrooms combined with the silky cream sauce and luxe mafaldine pasta feels so beyond your average pasta dish.

I’ve been trying to make at least two meatless meals per week, and it felt like the perfect excuse to recreate this iconic Toronto dish at home. I wanted to use *slightly* less rich ingredients so that the dish would be less indulgent to enjoy at home, so I cut back on the heavy cream and butter and subbed in half and half cream and just a few table spoons of butter. You can change up the ratios if you want the sauce to be more or less creamy, but the real key to this dish is mushrooms, and a lot of them. You can sub in any you prefer, but I really love the meaty texture and deep colour of portobellos and creminis.

Mafaldine pasta can be difficult to find and isn’t typically available at your local grocery store, so you can sub in any pasta that you prefer – it will still taste amazing!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large packs of gourmet mushrooms, sliced (I prefer a mix of Cremini and Portobello)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 2-3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 small container (237ml) of half and half (12%) cream
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
• 1 pack mafaldine pasta, or your choice of pasta
• Fresh basil, to serve

Instructions

1. Set water to boil and cook pasta to your preference.
2. Meanwhile, sauté onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until soft
3. Add in all sliced mushrooms along with garlic and butter. Cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in parsley, oregano and thyme.
5. Add your cream and lemon juice, stir until thoroughly combined.
6. Add in pasta and parmigiano reggiano.
7. Toss for a few minutes to incorporate all of the flavours.
8. Serve with finely grated parmigiano reggiano and fresh basil.