PORCINI TAGLIATELLE WITH PINE NUTS

Try a wild mushroom mixture in this dish, or use fresh porcini when they are in season during the autumn. Always include the dried porcini, though – rehydrating them in boiling water creates an instant mushroom stock that is packed with flavour and gives the sauce a real boost.

Serves 2

l 15g (½oz) dried porcini mushrooms

l 200g (7oz) tagliatelle

l 30g (1oz) pine nuts

l 1tbsp olive oil

l 60g (2¼oz) butter

l 1 banana shallot, peeled and finely chopped

l 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

l 100ml (3½fl oz) white wine

l 200g (7oz) fresh mushrooms, ideally porcini or wild,

finely sliced

l 2tbsp finely chopped tarragon

l 25g (1oz) Parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus extra to serve

l 1tbsp flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

l Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

l 3tbsp crème fraîche

Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Put the dried porcini mushrooms in a small heatproof bowl and add enough boiling water to cover them. Cover with clingfilm and set aside.

Pour the remaining boiling water into a saucepan, add some salt and return to the boil. Add the tagliatelle and cook for 7-10 minutes, until al dente.

Meanwhile, put the pine nuts into a dry frying pan over a medium heat, shaking the pan until they are lightly toasted. Set aside until you’re ready to serve.

Put the olive oil and half the butter into a sauté pan and place over a low heat. When the butter has melted, add the shallot and cook gently for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook gently for another 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the white wine and let it reduce by half.

Strain the liquid from the porcini mushrooms into the pan, then roughly chop the hydrated mushrooms and add them too. When the liquid has reduced by half, add the fresh mushrooms and tarragon, then stir well until all of the mushrooms have softened.

Drain the tagliatelle, reserving the water. Add the pasta to the mushroom mixture, then stir in the Parmesan, parsley and remaining butter, plus some of the reserved water, if needed.

Season to taste, stir in the crème fraîche and serve in bowls, sprinkled with extra Parmesan and the pine nuts.