It is the 4th of November and we are still in t-shirts. No complaints, the weather has been gorgeous, but as the year gets closer to its end our bodies are starting to crave the types of food that we would normally eat when trying to fatten up for the cold winter months. Mushrooms, heavy pastas, deep flavors.

Despite having every window in the house open and kicking blankets off in the night, we are preparing the heavy foods, you just can’t help yourself sometimes, and my husband, who was the creator of this delicious pasta, loves a hearty meal.

I have only recently, while pregnant and banned from eating it, discovered speck. Deli meats are prohibited in most places for pregnant ladies, but more specifically here, cured meats because they have not been cooked. Makes sense, but it is a cruel cruel thing to keep from a pregnant lady who is craving everything salty. Speck has  a little spice to it which is really appealing to my palate. Of course what we are eating down here is a bastardization of the real thing from the Alps, but I don’t know any better and dream, a month from now, of large plates of deliciously cured pigs.

Tagliatelle con speck, funghi e panna

• 1 clove garlic
• 40 grams butter
• ½ white onion
• 400 grams mixed mushrooms, we used cremini
• 250 ml heavy whipping cream or crème fraîche
• 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
• 100 grams speck
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb egg tagliatelle or fettuccine

Take the slices of speck and cut them into thin strips. Clean the mushrooms, if they aren’t particularly dirty clean them with the dull end of a knife or a damp kitchen cloth to clean the extra dirt off of the mushrooms, if they are filthy rinse them with cold water and slice.

Slice the onion and mince the garlic, put the onion and the garlic in a pan with the butter and sauté over a low flame, add the speck and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes, adding the heavy cream after 10 minutes.

In the meantime fill a large pot with water for the pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water starts to boil for the pasta add a small handful of salt to the water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is al dente. Drain the pasta and toss for a few minutes over a medium flame in the pan with the speck, mushrooms and the heavy cream to blend the flavors. Toss in the parsley off of the heat and serve immediately.

One Year Ago: Sweet Potato Biscuits

Two Years Ago: Seed Crusted Pork Loin

Four Years Ago:  Pasta e Zucca

Five Years Ago: Ziti with a Seafood-Fennel Sauce, Fruit Tart with Crema Pasticciera and Shortbread Cookies, Farfalle alla Nerano, Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe, Renella, Pizza & Zucchine alla Scapece

~ by italicious on November 4, 2013.

Posted in fresh pasta, mushrooms, onions, parsley, pasta, primi, speck
Tags: egg pasta, fall, fresh pasta, heavy cream, mushrooms, panna, pasta, speck