"Creamy Spinach and Wild Mushroom Pappardelle is a luxurious blend of earthy mushrooms and fresh spinach enveloped in a rich, creamy sauce. It is elegantly twined with wide, tender pasta ribbons for a dish that’s as comforting as it is sophisticated."
Creamy Spinach and Wild Mushroom Pappardelle
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Recipe Description
Creamy Spinach and Wild Mushroom Pappardelle perfectly blend the hearty and earthy flavors of wild mushrooms with the fresh and vibrant notes of spinach, all coated in a luxuriously creamy sauce. This dish celebrates textures and tastes, showcasing the silky ribbons of pappardelle pasta, which serve as the perfect canvas for the rich and nuanced sauce it carries.
The wild mushrooms are rehydrated to bring out their intense, umami-packed flavor and sautéed to golden perfection, offering a delightful contrast in texture with their slightly crispy edges and tender centers. These mushrooms provide a depth of flavor that is both grounding and intoxicating.
The spinach is blanched briefly to preserve its bright green color and nutritional integrity, then chopped and stirred into the sauce, adding a layer of freshness that brightens the dish. It provides a subtle, leafy contrast to the richness of the mushrooms and cream, introducing a hint of earthiness that complements the fungi’s robustness.
The sauce is a creamy concoction made with heavy cream enriched with the reserved liquids from both the mushrooms and the spinach, thickened to just the right consistency to cling to the pasta and vegetables. The sauce carries the flavors of the sautéed shallot and garlic, which add a whisper of sweetness and pungency. The Parmesan cheese melted into the sauce lends a savory sharpness and a smooth finish that beautifully rounds out the sauce’s flavor profile.
The pappardelle noodles bring it all together, their wide, flat shape making them the ideal vehicle for the hearty sauce. Cooked al dente, they offer a satisfying chew and a substantial base that complements the tenderness of the mushrooms and spinach. The dish is then finished with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, adding a hint of heat that cuts through the creaminess, awakening the palate to the full array of flavors in the bowl.
This Creamy Spinach and Wild Mushroom Pappardelle is a testament to the power of simple ingredients, thoughtfully prepared, to create a meal that is both comforting and luxurious. It’s a dish that invites you to linger at the table, savoring each bite, each blend of flavors and textures, in a dining experience that is both deeply satisfying and delightfully surprising.
This dish is sure to impress. It’s perfect for a cozy night in, a special occasion, or any time you want to bring a touch of gourmet into your home cooking. It’s a recipe that balances the rustic with the refined, the hearty with the delicate, offering a taste experience grounded in tradition and elevated by its execution.
In every forkful, Creamy Spinach and Wild Mushroom Pappardelle deliver a harmony of flavors that is delightful to the palate and pleasing to the eye. It is a true celebration of the joys of cooking and eating well.
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Prep time: 30mins
Cook time: 20mins
Serves or Makes: 4
Recipe Card
ingredients
- 8 ounces pappardelle pasta
- 1 cup dried wild mushrooms
- 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 finely chopped shallot
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- to taste salt and ground black pepper
- for garnish red pepper flakes
Method
Step 1
Rehydrate the Mushrooms: Place the dried wild mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 2 cups of boiling water. Let them sit for about 20-30 minutes until fully rehydrated and tender. Drain the mushrooms, reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, and roughly chop them.
Step 2
Blanch the Spinach: Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Blanch the spinach for about 1 minute, then immediately transfer to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain and squeeze out the excess water out of the spinach. Reserve 1/2 cup of the blanching liquid to reincorporate later. Once cooled through, chop the spinach roughly.
Step 3
Prepare the Pasta: Cook the pappardelle according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving a cup of pasta water.
Step 4
Sauté Mushrooms: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the rehydrated mushrooms and sauté until golden and slightly crispy. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and set aside.
Step 5
Cook Shallot and Garlic: Add the remaining tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the same skillet. Sauté the chopped shallot until it starts to soften, 1-2 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, being careful not to let the garlic burn.
Step 6
Create Cream Sauce: Add the chopped spinach to the skillet with the shallot and garlic. Lower the heat and add the heavy cream, stirring to combine. Incorporate a portion of the reserved mushroom soaking liquid and spinach blanching liquid as needed to achieve the desired sauce consistency. Let the mixture simmer until it thickens slightly, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted and evenly mixed into the sauce. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Step 7
Combine with Pasta and Mushrooms: Toss the cooked pappardelle and mushrooms in the skillet with the creamy spinach sauce, ensuring the pasta is evenly coated. Adjust the sauce’s consistency with the reserved mushroom soaking liquid and spinach blanching liquid as needed.
Step 8
Serve: Dish out the Creamy Spinach and Wild Mushroom Pappardelle with additional Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a burst of flavor and heat.