Pasta for All Seasons

Pasta for all seasons is fusilli tossed with shiitake, oyster and chanterelle mushrooms, smoked ham, garlic and parsley, ready in about 35 minutes. It feeds 4, works warm with a little cream or cold as a pasta salad, and a drizzle of truffle oil makes it feel special.

Why This Recipe Works

Cook the mushrooms in stages. The oyster and shiitake mushrooms go in first because they are firmer, and the delicate chanterelles follow a few minutes later. Every kind ends up tender instead of some turning mushy while others stay raw.

Pull the pasta out a little softer than al dente. It keeps soaking up the oil and mushroom juices in the bowl. Slightly soft pasta ends up just right instead of stiff.

Add the lemon juice at the end of the mushroom cooking. It cuts through the oil and the smoky ham and keeps the earthy mushrooms from tasting heavy. The truffle oil goes on last, because heat would cook off its aroma.

Pasta for All Seasons Ingredients

For the mushrooms

• 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms
• 5 ounces oyster mushrooms
• 4 ounces chanterelles
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (from the 6 tablespoons total)
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pasta

• 11 ounces dried fusilli
• 5 ounces smoked ham, cut into small strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (from the 6 tablespoons total)
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream (only if serving the dish warm)
• 2 tablespoons truffle oil and/or truffle, finely sliced

How To Make Pasta for All Seasons

Cook the mushrooms

1. Clean the mushrooms: Wipe the shiitake, oyster and chanterelle mushrooms with a damp cloth. Don’t rinse them, because they soak up water and won’t brown well. Cut away the tough part of the shiitake stalks.
2. Slice them: Cut the oyster and shiitake mushrooms into fine strips. Leave them whole if they are small.
3. Fry the first mushrooms: Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the oyster and shiitake mushrooms and fry them for a few minutes.
4. Add the chanterelles: Stir in the chanterelles and cook for another few minutes, since they are the most delicate and need less time.
5. Season and finish: Add the garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and fry for a few more minutes. Pour in the lemon juice, stir well and set the pan aside.

Cook the pasta and combine

6. Cook the fusilli: Boil the fusilli in salted water for 8 to 9 minutes, until it is slightly softer than al dente. It will keep softening a little in the bowl.
7. Mix everything: Drain the pasta and tip it into a large bowl. Add the mushroom mixture and the smoked ham strips and toss well. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil so the pasta doesn’t clump.
8. Add the cream: If you are serving the dish warm, stir in the heavy cream now so it coats the pasta.
9. Finish with truffle: Sprinkle the truffle oil over the top just before serving. Add thin slices of truffle too, if you have them.

Recipe Tips

• Keep the mushrooms in pieces: Small oyster and shiitake mushrooms look best left whole. Larger ones are better cut into strips so they cook evenly.
• Don’t crowd the pan: If your skillet is small, fry the mushrooms in two batches. Too many at once steam instead of brown and turn watery.
• Drizzle truffle oil last: Add it just before serving. Heat dulls its aroma, and a little goes a long way.
• Skip the cream when serving cold: For a pasta salad, leave out the cream and let the dish cool. The olive oil and lemon keep it moist.

What To Serve With Pasta for All Seasons

Serve this pasta in warm bowls with a crisp green salad and some crusty bread. A glass of dry white wine suits the earthy mushrooms and the smoky ham.

How To Store

• Fridge: Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Warm the pasta in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water until hot all the way through. Add a drizzle of truffle oil after reheating.
• Make ahead: Cook the mushroom mixture a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. Boil the pasta and toss everything together just before serving.

FAQs

Can I use other mushrooms?

Yes. Cremini, king oyster or porcini work well if you can’t find chanterelles. Keep the total weight close to 14 ounces so the balance with the pasta stays right.

Can I make this pasta without the ham?

Yes. Leave the ham out for a vegetarian version. The dish will be less smoky, so add a pinch more salt and a little extra lemon juice.

Can I serve this pasta cold?

Yes. Leave out the cream, let the pasta cool in the bowl, and toss it with the olive oil. It makes a good pasta salad for a picnic or lunch box.

Why is my pasta dry after mixing?

Pasta soaks up liquid as it sits. Stir in a splash of olive oil or, for the warm version, a spoonful more cream just before serving.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.

• Calories: about 640 kcal
• Total Fat: 33g
• Total Carbohydrate: 64g
• Dietary Fiber: 5g
• Protein: 22g

Pasta for All Seasons

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total time

35

minutes

Fusilli tossed with sautéed shiitake, oyster and chanterelle mushrooms, smoked ham, garlic and parsley. Serve it warm with cream or cold as a pasta salad, finished with truffle oil.

Ingredients

• For the mushrooms

• 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms

• 5 ounces oyster mushrooms

• 4 ounces chanterelles

• 4 tablespoons olive oil (from the 6 tablespoons total)

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• For the pasta

• 11 ounces dried fusilli

• 5 ounces smoked ham, cut into small strips

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (from the 6 tablespoons total)

• 3 tablespoons heavy cream (only if serving the dish warm)

• 2 tablespoons truffle oil and/or truffle, finely sliced

Directions

• Clean the mushrooms: Wipe the shiitake, oyster and chanterelle mushrooms with a damp cloth. Don’t rinse them, because they soak up water and won’t brown well. Cut away the tough part of the shiitake stalks.
• Slice them: Cut the oyster and shiitake mushrooms into fine strips. Leave them whole if they are small.
• Fry the first mushrooms: Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the oyster and shiitake mushrooms and fry them for a few minutes.
• Add the chanterelles: Stir in the chanterelles and cook for another few minutes, since they are the most delicate and need less time.
• Season and finish: Add the garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and fry for a few more minutes. Pour in the lemon juice, stir well and set the pan aside.
• Cook the fusilli: Boil the fusilli in salted water for 8 to 9 minutes, until it is slightly softer than al dente. It will keep softening a little in the bowl.
• Mix everything: Drain the pasta and tip it into a large bowl. Add the mushroom mixture and the smoked ham strips and toss well. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil so the pasta doesn’t clump.
• Add the cream: If you are serving the dish warm, stir in the heavy cream now so it coats the pasta.
• Finish with truffle: Sprinkle the truffle oil over the top just before serving. Add thin slices of truffle too, if you have them.