Casarecce with Wild Mushrooms, Pecorino, and Gremolata
The season’s best wild mushrooms are cooked in an abundance of California olive oil, garlic, and thyme before being tossed with al dente Casarecce pasta. Little jewels of English peas pair perfectly with tangy and salty Pecorino Romano and fresh chopped gremolata. This earthy mushroom pasta will stand up to almost any Bordeaux-style wine with its green notes, fatty sauce, and salty cheese.
Pair with: 2018 Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ingredients
1 lb. Caserecce pasta
1 lb. wild mushrooms (morel, king trumpet, hedgehog, chanterelle, etc.)
5 cloves garlic
1⁄2 bunch thyme; picked and chopped
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1 yellow onion
2 bay leaves
1⁄2 cup English peas; shelled
1 small wedge Pecorino Romano
1⁄2 bunch parsley
1 Eureka lemon
2 cups water
salt
olive oil
Preparation
Mushroom Ragu:
Peel carrot and onion, then dice into 1/4” cubes along with celery. Sauté in large pot over a medium-low flame with bay leaves until fully tender. While the vegetables sauté, clean and wash mushrooms and cut into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and sauté in olive oil until cooked through and lightly browned, then add to vegetables.
On the side, sizzle 4 cloves of garlic that have been chopped fine until very fragrant. Add thyme and cook briefly, then stir into mushrooms and vegetables, add water, and simmer together until the water has reduced most of the way and the mixture is juicy and flavorful. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Gremolata:
Peel the rind from the lemon and remove any white pith from the inside. Chop rind finely, along with parsley and one clove of garlic.
To Serve:
Heat ragu in a large sauté pan. Boil pasta in salted water until desired doneness, and when a few minutes remain, add English peas to the pasta water and cook together until tender. Remove pasta and peas from water and add to ragu.
Sauté together, adding pasta water as needed, until ragu forms a saucy consistency. Divide onto plates, grate Pecorino over the top, and sprinkle with gremolata.
Pair with: 2018 Game Trail Cabernet Sauvignon
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