Chanterelles and Pasta

Alice Waters: Chanterelle Pasta
serves 4 to 6


1 oz dried porcini
¾ cup heavy cream
1½ cups chicken stock or mushroom broth
1 lb chanterelles (or horns of plenty, hedgehogs, etc.)
3 or 4 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic
1 leek
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper
1 lb fresh pasta
Reggiano Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped parsley


Put the dried porcini in a saucepan with the cream and chicken stock or the broth and heat gently for 30 minutes or so to infuse the mixture with mushroom flavor. Remove the porcini from the cream with a slotted spoon or strainer, and strain the cream through the cheesecloth or a fine sieve to remove any sand. Clean and slive the chanterelles. Chop the thyme leaves. Peel and chop the garlic. Clean and chop the leek and sauté in 1 tblsp of the butter until soft and translucent. Remove from the pan and reserve. Put a pot of water on for the pasta. Sauté the mushrooms in the rest of the butter, seasoned with salt, pepper, and the chopped thyme. When nearly cooked through, add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Pour the strained cream and stock over the mushrooms, add the leeks, and simmer gently while the pasta is cooking. When the noodles are done, add them to the mushrooms. Taste and correct the seasoning. Season garnished with grated Parmesan and the parsley.