Recipe(tried): Porcini Mushroom Sauce with Cream, Creamy Fettuccine with Porcini Mushrooms

Micha, I enjoyed cooking with you also! Thanks for the suggestions, I think the tomatoes, mozzarella and bread would make a wonderful lunch.

Today I have to find some recipes using leftover bean sprouts and napa cabbage for dinner this evening.

Here are two Porcini mushroom sauce recipes, the first (with cream) from Cook's Illustrated I have made. It is delicious, rich and intense. The second (evaporated skim milk) was also in my mushroom/pasta file. It was clipped from a newspaper, not sure which one, and looks like a take on the first one by lightening it. I haven't made it, but it should work as well. I really love dried porcinis but have never had fresh ones.

Porcini Mushroom Sauce with Cream

Toss this intensely flavored sauce with one pound of dried (or 1 and one-quarter pound of fresh) fettuccine and one half cup of parmesan cheese. Pass extra cheese at the table.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in 2 cups hot water (see below), strained, and chopped coarse; soaking liquid reserved
salt and ground black pepper
6 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Heat butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion' saute until edges begin to brown, about 7 minutes. Add porcini and salt and pepper to taste; saute to release flavors, 1 to 2 minutes.

In crease heat to medium-high. Add soaking liquid; simmer briskly until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Stir in cream; simmer until sauce just starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in parsley, adjust seasonings, and serve.

To rehydrate dried porcini mushrooms: Place 1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms in small bowl and cover with 1 cup hot water. Soak 20 minutes. Carefully lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and pick through to remove any foreign debris. Wash mushrooms under cold water if they feel gritty, then chop. Strain soaking liquid through sieve lined with paper towel. Reserve mushrooms and strained soaking liquid separately.

Creamy Fettuccine with Porcini Mushrooms

2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups hot water
1 pound fettuccine
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 medium onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/4 cup evaporated skim milk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place mushrooms in a small bowl; pour water over to cover and soak 20 minutes. cook pasta according to directions without salt or oil. Remove mushrooms from water. Remove any foreign matter and chop mushrooms. Strain soaking liquid in a colander lined with paper towels and reserve liquid.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and melt butter or margarine. Add onion and cook 6-7 minutes or until onions just begin to brown. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add mushroom soaking liquid and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid has been reduced by half. (The sauce should be thicker now, but don't overdo it or it will become too dry.) Stir milk into mushroom mixture and simmer 2 minutes or until sauce thickens. Drain pasta and pour into serving bowl; pour sauce over, add Parmesan and toss to combine. Serve immediately.