6 oz (160 g) spaghetti
2 qt water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 cups (200 g) mushrooms (crimini, white button, or baby bella), finely chopped
¾ tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
⅜ cup (100 ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Garnish
Finely chopped scallions
Grated parmesan cheese, optional
Sliced mushrooms, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook pasta for 1 minute less than the suggested cooking time. Reserve ½ cup (100 ml) of pasta water.
Preheat the pan over medium-high heat for about 90 seconds. Add in oil and swirl to coat evenly. Allow smoke to rise from the entire surface of the pan, then add butter.
Once butter melts, add onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper and sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until onion is lightly browned.
Reduce heat to low and add mushrooms and bay leaf. Sauté for about 10 minutes or until excess moisture is removed from mushrooms. Add the pasta water from Step 1, stir, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and pour in heavy cream.
Once pasta has finished cooking, drain with a colander. Heat the same pan over medium-high heat and bring sauce to a simmer. Add in pasta and cook for about 1 minute, stirring to coat evenly with the sauce. Turn off heat and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle black pepper, garnish with scallion, parmesan, and sliced mushrooms, and serve.
Adjust the sauce’s consistency by increasing or decreasing the amount of pasta water in Step 4.
To prevent the heavy cream from separating, add the pasta to the pan once the sauce starts simmering.
Cooking the pasta together with the sauce for 1 minute adds depth and richness. Be sure to cook pasta for 1 minute less than the suggested cooking time to accommodate for this extra time.
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