Portabella Mushrooms & Pasta

Six ingredients, 30 minutes, and you’ve got a pasta dinner with serious depth. Thick-cut portabella mushrooms sauteed in olive oil with golden garlic develop a rich, meaty flavor that needs nothing else to carry a plate of pasta.

The key is getting a hard sear on the mushrooms. They need to brown, not steam. That means cooking them in a single layer without crowding the skillet, and resisting the urge to stir too often. Letting them sit develops those dark, caramelized edges that give portabellas their beefy character.

Drying the mushrooms thoroughly after rinsing is a must. Wet mushrooms dump moisture into the hot oil, dropping the pan temperature and killing the sear. Pat them down with paper towels before they hit the skillet.

Chef Tips

• Cut mushrooms into thick strips, then chunks so they hold up during cooking and don’t shrink to nothing
• Saute the garlic until just golden, not dark brown; burnt garlic turns bitter and ruins the dish
• Toss the hot pasta directly into the mushroom skillet with a splash of pasta water so the starch binds into a light sauce
• A generous shower of fresh parsley at the end keeps things bright and green

Variations

• Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and shaved Parmesan for a richer plate
• Add a splash of white wine after browning the mushrooms for a quick pan sauce
• Toss in a handful of cherry tomatoes with the garlic for color and acidity