Mega Mushroom Pasta with Taleggio Cheese Sauce

& Escarole Salad with Fennel 

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 – 1 ¼ pounds assorted fresh mushrooms of choice, stemmed and wiped – store in paper bags and use ASAP

3 T EVOO

1 T lemon juice

3 T butter

2 shallots, finely chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

Salt and white pepper

2 T flour

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup half n half or heavy cream

6-8 ounces Taleggio, trimmed of rind and pulled into smaller pieces  

1 pound egg pappardelle or tagliatelle  

1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

Directions:

Place water on to boil for pasta.

 Stem or trim and slice or tear mushrooms (Hen or chicken of woods, oyster can be torn into strips.)

Heat a large shallow skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil and mushrooms and brown lightly and allow mushrooms to become fragrant and vibrant.  Douse with a little lemon juice and remove to a platter.

Return pan to medium heat and add butter and melt, add shallots and garlic, salt and white pepper and stir 2-3 minutes to soften a bit, add flour, stir, add white wine and reduce to ¼-1/3 cup, add the half-n-half or cream and stir, add Taleggio and melt into sauce, reduce heat to low.

Add mushrooms back to pan.

Salt pasta waster.  Cook pasta 1 minute less than package directions and reserve ½ cup cooking water, drain or use spider to transfer to sauce, add cheese and toss.  Use cooking water to loosen sauce if necessary.  Serve immediately. 

Escarole Salad with Fennel:

This is a method more than a recipe: per 4 people 8 cups chopped fresh escarole and 1 bulb fennel, quartered, cored and thinly sliced.  Add ½ small white or red onion, season with salt and fine black pepper and dress with juice of 1 lemon and about 3 T fruity olive oil.  Herbs that work are tarragon, parsley leaves and celery tops.