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This month, food bloggers are sharing their favorite three-ingredient pastas. Today, Heather from Flourishing Foodie shares her recipe for fettuccine with mushrooms, walnuts and parmesan, a rich combination she discovered by accident. The best part? It takes just 10 minutes to make. Here’s how…
Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Walnuts and Parmesan
by Heather Hands of Flourishing Foodie
I stumbled across this dish one night after work, when I was rummaging through the fridge trying to think of something to prepare for dinner. With only a few ingredients in my fridge (a small bag of mushrooms, a piece of Parmesan cheese and a stick of butter), I wasn’t completely confident that I could make something out of those few ingredients.
I liked the idea of pairing mushrooms and walnuts, as they are a combination that has worked well in many dishes before. Lately, I’ve been pretty excited about adding nuts to my meals, and not just salads. They add a nice earthiness and crunch for flavor, and they are a great source of protein and healthy fats. Luckily I had a small jar in the cupboard perfect for this dish.
Beurre noisette, a french term for brown butter or literally “hazelnut butter,” is one of the most amazing flavors I have ever experienced. Brown butter is made by heating butter over low heat until the butterfat and milk solids separate. The milk solids turn light brown and fall to the bottom of the pan. The whole process produces a rich nutty flavor that is irresistible. Frying the mushrooms in brown butter brings out the most intensely wonderful flavors from the mushrooms. The Parmesan cheese adds the perfect amount of salty and creaminess to tie it all together.
This meal has been a hit around my house, and my husband is convinced that I have slaved over the stove for hours. Little does he know that it only takes me 10 minutes to prepare. Some secrets are best kept to ourselves.
Recipe: Mushroom, Walnut and Parmesan Fettuccine
You’ll need:
4 ½ oz dry fettuccine pasta
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 ½ cups white or crimini mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup walnut halves
2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
In a large pot of boiling water, add the fettuccine and cook until al dente.
A few minutes before the pasta has cooked, in a large frying pan on low heat, heat the butter until it begins to pop and sizzle. Add the sliced mushrooms and fry until the butter is light brown and the mushrooms are soft. Add the walnuts and fry for a minute or two until they are warm and coated with butter.
Drain the pasta. Toss in a large bowl with the mushrooms and walnuts. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, and season with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Serve warm.
Thank you so much, Heather!
P.S. More best recipes, including roasted mushrooms and Ricotta & Honey Crostini. Plus, pop quiz: What’s really in your fridge?
(Photos and recipe by Heather Hands. Thanks to Caroline Donofrio for her help with this series.)
