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Prep time
15 minutes
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Cook time
25 minutes
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Serves
2
Author Notes
Heavy cream—as if touched with a magic wand—takes on a riot of flavors, while maintaining its moon-white color. Simply boil it gently with whatever seasoning you prefer, such as mustard seeds and rosemary sprigs, then immediately remove it from the heat. After 12 minutes or so, it will be infused with the flavors of your desire. This is a technique I frequently use to make sauces even more elegant and velvety, as in this porcini pasta, which tastes of autumn. —Food52
Test Kitchen Notes
Recipe from Polish’d: Modern Vegetarian Cooking from Global Poland © Michał Korkosz, 2023. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available everywhere books are sold.
I love this recipe so much because of its simplistic tricks that really layer the dish beautifully. Instead of overloading a sauce with mustard and herbs, Michał chooses to imbue the flavors gently by infusing the cream, and then straining. The end result? A rich sauce that hints at extra flavor that builds the more you eat. —Emily Ziemski
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Ingredients
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1/2 cup
(120 ml) heavy cream
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2 tablespoons
mustard seeds, plus more for serving
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2
fresh rosemary sprigs, plus more for serving
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3 tablespoons
olive oil
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2
garlic cloves, thinly sliced
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1/2 pound
(225 grams) fresh porcini mushrooms, sliced
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Fine sea salt, to taste
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Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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1/2 pound
(225 grams) fresh pasta, such as pappardelle
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3 tablespoons
Parmesan, Szafir, or Dziugas cheese, plus more for serving
Directions
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Place the heavy cream, mustard seeds, and rosemary sprigs in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat. Remove it from the heat immediately and let sit to infuse, about 15 minutes. Remove the rosemary sprig and discard.
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Heat the oil and the garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, remove and discard it using a slotted spatula. Add the porcini and cook until golden brown but still firm, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
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Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.
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Place the pasta back in the pot and add the infused cream, the porcini, the Parmesan, and ¼ cup (60 ml) of the reserved pasta water. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy. Add more pasta water, if needed. Season with salt and pepper.
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Divide between two bowls. Chop the additional rosemary and sprinkle over with the mustard seeds and the Parmesan before serving.
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