GialloZafferano's recipe of the day: Tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms

Tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, a traditional Italian first course, brings fresh pasta and a savory mushroom sauce together in one inviting dish. The wide noodles are cut by hand after the dough has rested and been rolled into sheets. A little parsley adds freshness to the buttery porcini sauce, making this a satisfying choice for a family dinner or a small celebration.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FRESH PASTA:

• Type 00 flour 7 oz (200 g)
• Eggs 4.25 oz (120 g)
• Semolina to taste - for dusting

SEASONING:

• Porcini mushrooms 1 lb (500 g)
• Butter 3 ½ tbsp (50 g)
• Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp (35 g)
• Fine salt to taste
• Garlic 1 clove
• Parsley 1 sprig
• Black pepper to taste

1. Pour the flour onto a pastry board or into a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the beaten eggs and stir with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour by hand. Once the dough is compact, knead vigorously for about 10 minutes.
2. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature in a cool place away from heat sources for about 30 minutes.
3. Scrape the dirt from the porcini stems with a small knife, then wipe any very dirty mushrooms with a slightly damp cloth. Slice the mushrooms.
4. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over very low heat. When it has almost completely melted, add the oil and warm it slightly over low heat, then add the mushrooms and, if you like, a peeled whole or chopped garlic clove.
5. Season with salt and pepper and cook the mushrooms for about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic if you added it, keep the mushrooms warm, and finely chop the parsley.
6. Divide the rested dough into pieces. Lightly flour one piece and pass it through a pasta machine, starting at the widest setting and working up to the second-to-last thickness setting; keep the remaining dough covered with plastic wrap. Pass the sheet through twice at that final setting.
7. Lightly dust the work surface with semolina and lay out the sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, then sprinkle the sheets with semolina and let them dry for 5 minutes per side.
8. Fold one short side of each sheet inward, then roll the pasta up. Cut into strips about 1/4 inch wide with a sharp, lightly floured knife, lift the rolls into noodle nests and place them on a semolina-dusted surface or tray.
9. Bring water to a boil, salt it to taste and cook the tagliatelle for 3-4 minutes. Drain the pasta directly into the mushroom sauce, reserving the cooking water, and toss over low heat. Add the parsley and, if needed, a ladle of pasta water to keep the noodles from drying out, then serve immediately.

If the pasta dough feels too dry as you work it, wet it with a little room-temperature water. If it feels very sticky, add a little flour without overdoing it. If you don't have parsley, you can use fresh mint for a different fresh note.