GialloZafferano’s Recipe of the Day: Chestnut and Mushroom Pasta

Fall is in full swing, and the recipe of the day for [Day], [Month Date] brings two of the season’s best ingredients into one bowl: chestnut and mushroom pasta! Fresh homemade tagliatelle meet a sauce made with three kinds of mushrooms, where the earthy depth of the mushrooms plays against the natural sweetness of a rustic chestnut purée. To finish, a tangy herb butter and grated Parmigiano Reggiano turn everything creamy and glossy. It takes a little more time than an everyday pasta, which makes it perfect for a slow weekend lunch.

FOR THE FRESH TAGLIATELLE:

• Type 00 flour 1.7 cups (200 g)
• Eggs 2

FOR THE SAUCE:

• Honey mushrooms 5.3 oz (150 g)
• King oyster mushrooms 5.3 oz (150 g)
• Chanterelle mushrooms 2 cups (150 g)
• Precooked chestnuts 2.5 oz (70 g)
• Garlic 1 clove
• Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.4 oz (40 g)
• Butter 1 tsp (5 g)
• Sage to taste
• Rosemary to taste
• Fine salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

FOR THE ACID BUTTER:

• Butter 4 ¼ tbsp (60 g)
• Onions 1.1 oz (30 g)
• White wine vinegar ½ tsp (3 g)
• White wine 1 ¼ tsp (6 g)
• Sage to taste
• Rosemary to taste

TO GARNISH:

• Precooked chestnuts to taste

1. To prepare the chestnut and mushroom pasta, start with the tagliatelle. Beat the eggs in a small bowl, pour the flour into a mound on the work surface, and make a well in the center. Add the eggs a little at a time, incorporating them first with a fork, then kneading by hand until the dough is smooth. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the acid butter. Finely chop the onion. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat with the sage and rosemary, then add the onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring.
   
   
3. Turn off the heat and add the vinegar and white wine. Strain the mixture to remove the onion and herbs, collect the butter in a small bowl, and refrigerate it until it solidifies.
   
   
4. Once the dough has rested, flatten it with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface, then roll it through a pasta machine into a very thin sheet, about 1-2 mm. Cut it into tagliatelle about 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) long, dust them lightly with flour, and shape them into nests on a tray.
   
   
5. For the sauce, melt the butter in a pan with the garlic clove, then add the peeled chestnuts and two tablespoons of water. Cook for 7-8 minutes, adding more water if needed, and crush the chestnuts lightly with a spoon to get a coarse purée. Season with salt and set aside.
   
   
6. Clean the mushrooms. Halve the king oyster mushrooms, dice the stems, and cut the caps into wedges; cut the larger chanterelles into wedges too. Blanch the honey mushrooms in plenty of boiling water for at least 15 minutes, then drain them and discard the water.
   
   
7. In the same pan used for the chestnuts, sauté all the mushrooms over high heat for about 10 minutes, then season with salt. Stir in the chestnut purée.
   
   
8. Cook the tagliatelle in a pot of boiling salted water. Drain them, reserving some of the cooking water, and transfer them straight into the pan with the sauce. Add two ladles of pasta water and the chopped sage and rosemary, and toss to combine.
   
   
9. Turn off the heat, then add a grind of black pepper, the acid butter, and the grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Stir gently until creamy, divide among plates, and finish with crumbled chestnuts.

For an acid butter with a more intense flavor, reduce the white wine with the chopped onion and herbs until the liquid has almost evaporated, then whisk in very cold butter one cube at a time to create an emulsion. Let it cool, cut it into cubes, and use it to finish the pasta. If you’d rather keep things simpler, regular butter works fine too. And if honey mushrooms are hard to find near you, you can replace them with cremini or shiitake, which don’t need to be blanched.