You don’t need to grow your own mushrooms to enjoy this delicious Fettuccine with Olive Oil and Mushrooms. This was a quick and easy dinner for one, but you can easily adjust the recipe to serve more.
My Short-Lived Career as a Mushroom Farmer
Apparently I’m no mushroom farmer.
Mushrooms Canada was a sponsor of the Food Bloggers of Canada conference I attended way back in April 2013, and they provided each participant with an oyster mushroom growing kit. I wanted to explore using mushrooms more in my cooking, so I was excited to get growing.
And, really, how hard could it be? All I had to do was follow the instructions on the side of the box: soak the package for 12 hours, then mist it twice a day and watch mushrooms magically sprout and grow to maturity. And that’s exactly what happened. On day five we began to see signs of habitation in Mushroomville, and by day nine I had a nice crop of plump looking ‘shrooms. A couple more days, I figured, and I’d be harvesting and cooking.
And then, on day 10, my mushrooms started to shrivel up. By day 11 I knew it wasn’t meant to be. We’d had a spell of very warm weather here, and I had the box on a sunny window sill. I should have realized that direct sun, heat and mushrooms don’t mix. I was disappointed but undeterred; each kit comes with two sets of mushrooms, so now I’ll start growing the other side. Cross your fingers for me!
Fettuccine with Olive Oil and Mushrooms
I’d been anticipating a good meal featuring mushrooms and didn’t see any reason to wait longer. I went to the market, bought some very nice creminis and in no time at all whipped up a quick and easy pasta con olio e funghi di cremini. I hope that’s Italian for “pasta with olive oil and cremini mushrooms.” But I’m going to call this recipe Fettuccine with Olive Oil and Mushrooms, and use whatever mushrooms I can get next time.
However you say it, I have to tell you, it tasted delicious. Perfect al dente fettuccine with a simple yet nuanced sauce of olive oil, meaty mushrooms complemented by the earthiness of fresh thyme, set off by aromatics and the bright zing of fresh lemon juice.
There definitely will be more mushrooms on my table in the future. If I’m able to get into my mushroom farming groove they may be oyster mushrooms that I’ve grown myself, but otherwise I’ll happily buy them at the market.
Disclaimer
Mushrooms Canada provided the oyster mushroom growing kits to all participants at the Food Bloggers of Canada Conference in April 2013. There was no obligation to write about our experience growing them, but by choosing to do so I was eligible for a $50 gift card, to be awarded through a random draw. UPDATE: On June 6, 2013 Mushrooms Canada notified me that I was chosen as the winner of the gift card in their random draw. It seems that pasta with mushrooms brings good luck!
This recipe is a bit of a spin on the traditional pasta aglio e olio, adding sliced mushrooms and complementary seasonings. I enjoyed it without cheese, but I don't think you could go wrong with a grating of fresh Parmesan to finish. I savoured this with a glass of crisp white wine in front of the TV (it's not all linen tablecloths and candles around here).
- enough fettuccine or other dried pasta for one serving
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 to 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small shallot, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 large clove garlic, thickly sliced
- a good handful of cremini mushrooms, sliced (1-1/2 cups sliced)
- leaves from several sprigs of thyme, chopped
- a spritz of fresh lemon juice
- freshly ground pepper to taste
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Bring a pot of water to the boil (enough to give the pasta lots of room to cook), add about a tablespoon of salt and add the dried pasta. Cook until just barely al dente (he pasta will cook further when you add it to the sauce). If the pasta is done before the sauce is ready to receive it, drain and set aside. Either way, reserve a half cup of the cooking water.
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Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat and add the shallot and garlic, stirring occasionally. After a few minutes, once they start to soften, add the sliced mushrooms, chopped thyme and freshly ground pepper to taste. Sauté, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are starting to brown but are still juicy. If you judge it necessary, add up to one tablespoon more olive oil, a little at a time during this process. Turn the heat to low.
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Once the mushrooms are cooked through, spritz on a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and add add the pasta. If you time it right, you can transfer it directly from its pot and it will carry with it enough liquid to the skillet to loosen the sauce. If the pasta finished ahead of time and has been drained, add a couple of tablespoons or so of cooking liquid until the sauce is the right consistency (i.e., just enough to get all the pasta coated without it pooling in the bottom of the pan). Toss the pasta to incorporate the sauce throughout, then taste and adjust seasoning if required.
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Transfer to a plate and garnish with a couple of sprigs of thyme.
Looking for Other Mushroom Recipes?
Here are a few more recipes that feature the goodness of mushrooms: Portobello Mushrooms & Sausage Soup, Beef & Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie (wow, that needs new photos, wouldn’t you say?), and Butter-Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms & Shallots (great over the chive mashed potatoes also featured in that post!).
Originally published 2013 05 22
Updated 2019 09 07
Republished 2021 01 29
Nicely done Mar!
Thank you, dear. I’ll make this again sometime when you’re home to share it!
That looks delicious, and taking good pictures of food is never easy.
By the way, in Italy we would call that: “Fettuccine con champignon”
Thank you! Hopefully, my recipe name in Italian gets the idea across, at least.
Not by choice but because I just didn’t have time to cook these on day 10, mine were a little on the drier side too (think I cooked on Day 12?) and mine were not in direct sunlight nor was it hot. Also I think I expected oyster mushrooms to be a little bigger but I see others have harvested these on Day 10 or so with little mushrooms so I just though a couple more days would help to get them growing a little bigger. Mine were delicious after being sautéed in butter (what isn’t?!) and they topped a risotto. Once I have made my way thought the pictures I will post about my experience too. My second side is showing absolutely no sign of mushroomy life after a week so I am a bit sad about that 🙁 Can’t wait to see if your second side grows!! Byt the way, this dish looks amazing – is it wrong to want this at 5.30am???
I think pasta with mushrooms would make an excellent breakfast, Mardi! Maybe I should have gone ahead and harvested my mushrooms when they were small, but I waited because I thought they were supposed to be much bigger. But mine had many more mushrooms than others that I’ve see. Oh well, we’ll have to see how the other side does. I’ve heard of people going quite a bit of time, and then, voila, mushrooms! so maybe yours will still come through. Your risotto topped with butter-sauteed mushrooms sounds thoroughly appealing – looking forward to seeing your post about it.
Good luck with the second lot!
Thanks, hoping second time will be the charm!
The recipe looks perfect! I love mushrooms with thyme!
I agree that mushrooms and thyme are meant for each other!
Love the photos…it looks like I could take a fork and start twirling your delicious pasta.
What a lovely compliment. Thanks so much, Karen!
Love your enthusiasm Mar! My mushrooms shriveled too, and I pretty much just pouted and gave up…so good for you! Excited to see how the other harvest turns out for you. Your Crimini pasta turned out beautifully though, I’ll be trying it very soon!! Best of luck in the random drawn and thanks for sharing your experience…
-Shannon
Thanks for the opportunity, Shannon. I’m so pleased to see how whole foods like mushrooms are being promoted in Canada. And with recipes like this, that truly come together faster than a pizza can be delivered, maybe we help more people make tasty, healthy meals at home!
It looks like you were on track for a hearty crop, must be the sun or the box limits their size?? Anyway, I know you’ll get it right the second time:) Lovely pasta recipe, I adore mushrooms in pasta! xx
Yes, it was a disappointment when my crop went from flourishing to vanishing! I quite enjoyed the mushrooms in pasta; a good reminder to use mushrooms more often in my cooking.
Hey Mar – mushrooms are one of my favorites!?! but I’ve never tried to grow any – I just pick the shaggy manes that grow in the backyard or along the road in the neighborhood – divine – I hope to try your sumptuous dish 🙂
I’m not brave enough, or more to the point, knowledgeable to pick and eat any mushrooms I find growing outside. Good for you that you know what you’re doing! If my mushroom-growing career doesn’t take off, I’ll be picking mine from the usual place: the market 😊
Congratulations on the win! I just saw this on Mushroom Canada FB page. It looks so simple and delicious and lets the mushroom be the star that it is!
Thank you, Kari. It was pretty exciting to see that email in my in-box! The whole process reminded me that I don’t eat mushrooms often enough!
[…] compartments, I set it aside to try again later and instead purchased some mushrooms to use in a pasta dish. Last week, when I was tidying the kitchen I moved the kit to a little-used area of the countertop […]
Nice recipe! It’s the mushrooms season here and I am always wondering how to cook them. I am so glad I found your recipe through Mushrooms Canada!
It was great to have my recipe linked to the Mushrooms Canada site. Glad you like it and hope it works well for you. I just posted another mushroom recipe yesterday – Chive Mashed Potatoes with Butter-Sauteed Oyster Mushrooms and Shallots – in case you’d like to check that one out too.
[…] since worked selectively with other brands, featuring products such as muesli, mushrooms and mustard. I’ve never been paid for any of these posts, although some companies have […]
[…] Pasta with Olive Oil & Cremini Mushrooms […]
[…] not be much of a mushroom farmer, but I’m good at pairing them with pasta, as this recipe for Fettuccine with Olive Oil and Mushrooms proves. Pasta with Potatoes, Cabbage and Cheese is a huge favourite with my family. And Mom’s […]
Good receipe thanks…