“Travels” in Piedmont

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When I think Piedmont, my first thought is always wine. My second thought is truffles.

I am very fond of Piedmontese wines – and who wouldn’t be – but I do not pretend to have the kind of expertise necessary to write about them. I will say that this pasta dish goes quite well with Nebbiolo.

I am also very fond of truffles, but I hesitate to buy them for home cooking, so we’re going to rely on much more common mushrooms for this dish.

    Penne con Funghi al Forno
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    Penne con Funghi al Forno

    This would be a perfect winter pasta dish for a day when you’ve burned calories shoveling snow or on the slopes.

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, plus more to butter baking dish

    • 1 pound baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced

    • 3 large portabella mushroom caps, wiped clean, cut in half, then thinly sliced (so that the slices are only 1/2 the width of the mushroom cap)

    • 2 cloves garlic – finely minced

    • 12 oz penne

    • 12 oz grated Fontina cheese (about 3 cups)

    • 1 cup heavy cream

    • salt and freshly ground pepper

    Directions

    • Butter a two quart baking dish. Preheat oven to 400 F.
    • Melt the 1/4 cup butter in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms. Cook on medium to medium-high until mushrooms have released most of their water. You want the flavors intensified, and you do not want liquid left in the mushrooms, or it will make your pasta too soft. This will take at least 10-15 minutes to really cook them down.
    • When the mushrooms are almost done, reduce heat to medium, make space for the garlic on the bottom of the pan, and cook until the garlic is tender but not brown. You might need to add a bit of olive oil in the spot with the garlic to prevent sticking. Mix garlic and mushrooms thoroughly and set aside.
    • Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the penne until al dente. Drain thoroughly.
    • Put a thin layer of pasta in the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Put 1/4 of the mushrooms on top of the pasta. Distribute 1/4 of the cheese over the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat until all the pasta, mushrooms, and cheese are used, finishing with a layer of cheese.
    • Pour the cream over the top. Cover, and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 10 minutes more. Remove from oven, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
    • Serve with green salad and a nice red wine from Piedmont, if you’re so inclined.

    2 Comments

    1. Looks delish! And I love that you’ve made it accessible to those of us who are not food afficionados by using everyday mushrooms. Can’t wait to try this recipe!

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