GRANDPA'S WILD MUSHROOM PASTA..TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION..
It's the little things that seem to be the best..like a little mushroom that shows up around the Fall and lets
you know what time of the year it is. Chanterelles do that for me because they remind me of the wild
and seemingly very exotic mushrooms that my late Grandfather used to forage for in the Fall around his
house in the woods, in Staten Island, NYC.
Unless you are an expert in foraging for wild mushrooms, you will encounter these treats in any market or food store
that carries a variety of loose mushrooms. The only drawback with these chanterelles is their price. It's high, I paid
$ 19.99 @ lb for them and that usually makes someone's mind up. I rarely ever say this in a post, but the sauce is
so delicious, slice up any other wild mushroom for this recipe. WARNING: it will not taste the same as the deli-
cate and soft chanterelle does, but maybe if you like it, you will splurge and buy a 1/2 or 3/4 or a full lb. of them.
I wasn't as food saavy in my knowlege of chanterelles vs other wild mushrooms as a kid, I just remember that the
one's Grandpa would harvest most closely resembled in appearance, texture and taste the Chanterelles. What a
revelation this was when I figured that I could revisit one of my favorite foods as a kid now. After the mushroom
hunt Grandpa would bring them back to the house and he and Grandma would boil them for bottling (canning).
They had 8 kids and would give everyone bottles of mushrooms they packed with a peperoncino( in his dialect
they are called diavolichio), garlic, lemon juice, water, salt. Simple. Mom did a great job with them in sauce for
pasta but it never taste the same as when Grandpa or Grandma made it. On a Fall Saturday many years ago I
had Grandpa show me how he did it.
Hey..There's Grandpa! InnocenzoScaramuzzi...1890-1989..you can blame much of my obsession with cooking , food, family and tradition on him. I
don't think he would mind that..Not until I found chanterelles in a market though did I try to recreate how he turned
them into a macaroni sauce and the experimentation began. With a high degree of certainty on my part, relying on a
good memory and good tastebuds here is how you do it:
For 4 people:
3/4-1 lb. Chanterelles, Get off all the dirt then slice them into long pieces. In 3 cups of boiling water, add 1 tsp. of
kosher salt, 3 whole garlic cloves and 1 dried chile (peperoncino, diavolichio), 2 fresh basil leaves. Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the water. After the mushrooms have simmered for 10 minutes, turn off the flame and leave them in the
pot for another 5 minutes.
Now do some prep work...dice 2 medium sized ripe tomatoes; thinly slice 3 garlic cloves. In a large skillet/pan
with high sides (i love using a big old cast iron of this one) heat up 2 tsb. of extra virgin olive oil, add 1/2 tsp of
red chile flakes (peperoncino, i love that word) and when you start to hear that sizzle add the garlic. While that
is going on, drain the mushrooms but RESERVE the liquid. Add the mushrooms, a pinch of salt and let this saute'
for at least 5 minutes. Add the tomato, raise the heat a little. Stir. After 5 minutes the tomatoes should start to
soften up, now add 1/8 cup of Vermouth and 1/8 cup of the reserved mushroom boiling liquid. Let this come to
a boil. Reduce and simmer for 5 minutes, then add 1 tbs. of Tomato Paste. Stir, check for seasonings, and let
this cook down for about10 minutes. The pasta piece of this is important...it must be an egg based pasta for
the authentic flavor. However, if tagliatelle or fettuccine fresh are not in your timeframe, look up and down the
aisle of your Italian markets or Supermarkets in the Pasta aisle. You will probably find a package of dried
Imported from Italy Egg Fettuccine or Tagliatelle. Let me stop there. The same thing in Italy, depending on the
region you are in may have a different name, especially true with pasta shapes and cuts. By the way, TAGLIA-
TELLE simple means "cut"...it's cut ribbons of pasta sheets. Fettuccine is slightly thinner. I found a 1 lb. box
of ANNA brand Egg Fettuccine (you will always know the dried pasta made with eggs because they always
have a picture of eggs on the label).
They usually are dried in "NIDI", those little twirled spirals of pasta that look like a bird's nest (that's what NIDI
means). If all else fails, you can use a regular dried fettuccine, but...it will not be as good in this dish. Just sayin.
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions and drain well. Make sure you keep it al dente because you
are going to add it back into the pan with the sauce and cook it for an addition 5 minutes, adding 2 tbs of that re-
served mushroom liquid into it. When you have coated the pasta well with the sauce turn off the heat. Add 3 tbs.
of grated Grana Padano to the pasta and 3 torn basil leaves. Let this sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Just
before serving drizzle a little Extra Virgin over it..these last minute additions of aromatic ingredients will make a big
difference in your final presentation.
I'msure somewhere out there in reader-land people who cook with mushrooms frequently are saying.."Why on earth
is he boiling them first???" Here's the answer..This dish was always made with the bottled mushrooms that
my Grandparents made. This recipe is my way of recreating that dish as they made it. Yes, I did try making it
by simply sauteeing the mushrooms then adding the tomato and wine, but the end product didn't evoke those
memories of Signs Rd , Staten Island NYC. Of me riding my bike down (about a 10 minute or less bike ride) to
their house on a Saturday morning in the Fall and sitting down at their kitchen table, just me and my grandparents.
A boatload of relatives lived in the two adjoining houses, and they would pass in and out of their all morning,
along with visits from other aunts, uncles, second cousins, third cousins. You see my Grandfather was the "baby"
in his family...so at a certain point he became the only living uncle to what seemed like 1/2 of Staten Island and
Brooklyn. They paid huge respect to him and my Grandmother. The boxes of pastries and bottles of his
wine were endless. Yet, there were those times that it was just me and the two of them. I treasure all of those
times. And the boiling of the chanterelles is an integral part of that memory.
Grazie in tanto Babbo e Nonna...per tutti~~.
Posted by peter battaglia at 10/23/2011 10:17 AM 
Categories: CHANTERELLES, TAGLIATELLE, WILD MUSHROOMS
Tags: PASTA MUSHROOM CHANTERELLES WILD MUSHROOMS TAGLIATELLE ITALIAN
Categories: CHANTERELLES, TAGLIATELLE, WILD MUSHROOMS
Tags: PASTA MUSHROOM CHANTERELLES WILD MUSHROOMS TAGLIATELLE ITALIAN
Hi Peter, Alright, now you have done it - you have made me cry on a Sunday morning. What a lovely and supremely evocative post. I can see you at the table in the kitchen (was it one of those small formica ones with a band of aluminum around the edge???) I can see the family coming through with their wine and plates of pastry; our culture is a wonderful thing. And you have the food and recipes to prove it. I found the technique of boiling the mushrooms of great interest; how smart to have really recreated the taste and texture of your nonna's 'shrooms and with it the entire dish. It sounds luscious, and perfect for this time of year.
Grazie!
AdriBarr
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Great post Peter, such memories you have! I bet your house is a lot like your Grandfather's, lots of people coming and going and sitting at the table. Chanterelles are one of my favorite mushrooms, unfortunately not at all available in Hawaii, at least not on this island. They might get them at Whole Foods on Oahu. We do have great shitake and other mushrooms farmed here on the Big Island and I use them often.
I have a recipe for sourdough pasta that I am going to try, maybe I will do a mushroom sauce with that.
Thanks for all you do to share your food and memories with the world.
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