This is officially my new favorite way to cook wild mushrooms and pasta. This approach ditches cream and instead uses butter, chicken broth, and pasta water to create a luscious sauce. It really lets the mushroom flavor shine (in my opinion.) Adapted from Forager Chef.

Ingredients

• 12 oz farfalle pasta (or your favorite pasta of choice)
• 1 cloves garlic, crushed
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 24 oz wild mushrooms, washed and cleaned and cut into bite-sized chunks
• 12 T unsalted butter
• 6 T shallot, finely diced
• 3 c chicken stock (use homemade if at all possible, it makes a difference with the taste)
• 1.5 c dry white wine
• 1.5 c parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 3 T chives, roughly chopped
• 3 T parsley, roughly chopped (you can also use other herbs that complement mushrooms, like thyme)
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Dry fry the mushrooms: Heat a large cast-iron (or other thick-bottomed) skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their water and start to hiss and brown. (The timing here will depend on how water-logged your mushrooms are.)
2. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
3. Heat 3 T butter in another large pan over medium heat.
4. Add shallots, stirring until they are softened but not browned.
5. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
6. Add mushrooms and another 3 T butter to onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until everything is nicely soft and lightly browned (but not burned!)
7. Deglaze the pan with wine and reduce until the sauce is thick.
8. Add chicken stock and reduce by half.
9. When the water is boiling, add farfalle and stir to prevent sticking.
10. Right before the pasta is done, reserve 1/2 c pasta water.
11. When the pasta is done, reserve 1/2 c pasta water, then drain.
12. Add pasta and pasta water to the pan, along with lemon zest and remaining 6 T butter.
13. Stir and cook for a few minutes, until the sauce is thick like gravy.
14. Before serving, remove from heat and quickly stir in half the parmesan and the fresh herbs.
15. Serve immediately, topped with more parmesan.