Farfalle with Mushrooms and Hazelnuts

Shockingly simple. Only the Italians can nail such simplicity.

Make it or endure regret forever.

(And contrast the slippery woodsy mushroom texture with the crunchy hazelnuts and the chewy pasta.)


Ingredients

1 lb shiitake mushrooms
1/2 lb "other" wild mushrooms
1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts (roasted, crushed, read below)
2 garlic cloves (crushed)

6-7 dried porcini mushrooms

salt
pepper

farfalle (cooked al dente)

Recipe

First preheat the oven to 450F. Roast the hazelnuts for 8-10 minutes. You will be able to "smell" when to stop. Be careful not to burn them. Pull them out and cool.

Here's a nifty trick. After they cool, wrap in plastic wrap, and crush with a heavy rolling pin. That way they are easy to control.

Meanwhile, reconstitute the dried porcini mushrooms with warm water. After 10 minutes or so, dice them. Retain the water.

Fry the garlic, then the mushrooms diced coarsely. Finally, the diced porcinis, salt and pepper. Read this post on salt first.

Last of all the water in which the porcinis was reconstituted. You need to filter the water. Just use a triangulated paper napkin as a conical filter (woo-hoo, it's high-school chemistry time!)

Reduce as needed.

Add the hazelnuts right before the al dente farfalle. Mix well, and serve.

The CC has also seen the dish finished off with cream. Both are excellent. The one without the cream is more interesting because the wild mushroom taste stands out.