Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring
Salt Table Southern Italian Blend
“Chanterelle” is French for “little singers,” presumably because these delicate mushrooms look a bit like a singer’s open mouth. Simply sautéed in butter and seasoned lightly with The Salt Table Southern Italian Blend, they’re tossed with egg pasta noodles from Verdi’s home town of Parma, but they’re equally good with factory pasta. Chanterelles are seasonal, so if you’re not able to find them, cultivated shiitake and oyster mushrooms can be substituted.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
- ¾ pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms, or shiitake or oyster mushrooms, mixed
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium shallot, split lengthwise, peeled, and minced (about ¼ cup)
- ½ lemon
- The Halle & Savannah Blend
- 12 ounces fresh egg tagliatelle, fettuccine, or short pasta such as fusilli or penne
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
How to Make It:
- Gently clean the mushrooms with a dry cloth or soft brush. Halve or thickly slice the larger ones, but leave small ones whole.
- Put 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet or sauté pan. Return the pan to medium heat and let the butter melt. Add the shallots and sauté, tossing often, until just beginning to color, about 4 minutes. Add the chanterelles and sauté, tossing gently, until they have started to collapse. Season lightly with Southern Italian Blend, then squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice. Toss, taste, and adjust the lemon juice and Southern Italian Blend. Cook until the mushrooms are tender. Turn off the heat.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a 6 quart pot. When the water begins boiling, stir in a small handful of salt, then stir in the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, stirring occasionally. Just before it’s done, gently reheat the mushrooms over medium-low heat.
- When the pasta is ready, drain and add it to the mushrooms with the remaining butter and ¼ cup of the cheese. Toss well and add another ¼ cup of cheese, then serve at once, passing the remaining cheese separately.