Treva's Mushroom Marsala Pasta: A Side Dish for the Holidays
By Treva Gambs
In this post: Ingredients · Cooking Steps · Treva's Tips · Make It a Meal · The Wine · Leftovers
Introduction
Hello and welcome back to Casa Gambs. Tonight we're making a mushroom marsala.
Last month we did the tomatoes. Now that we're going into fall, this is a great dish to have. You can serve it as a side dish or make it your entree. It's warm and rich, kind of like apples and caramel, with some sweetness to it, and it's lovely on your tongue.
Most of you know me, but if you are new here, I'm Treva Gambs. I own Gamberetti's Italian Restaurant in downtown Salem, The Markum Inn out in Mt. Angel, and G3 Pizzas & Burgers in Aumsville.
Tonight I'm cooking for six, and the mushroom marsala is our side dish. The main is a leg of lamb with pesto on it, out on the Traeger. I sliced everything ahead so we don't sit here and talk forever. Not that I don't like talking to you.
The whole cook along is in the video, and the full recipe is below.
The Recipe: Treva's Mushroom Marsala Pasta
Serves 6 as a side dish
This one is super simple. The longest part is cooking the mushrooms down.
Ingredients
Mushrooms, about a large handful per person. I used three kinds: shiitake, oyster and button. They cook down by about half, so I like lots.
3 tablespoons olive oil, enough for a nice coating on the bottom of the pan
4 cloves garlic, sliced and then diced a little. I keep the pieces a little bigger so it's more fragrant.
Marsala, close to 1 cup for six, or about 1/4 cup for every two people. I used Sheffield Marsala, and I think I picked it up at Safeway or Roth's.
Butter, 1 cube plus another half cube for six. Cut it into little squares. For two or four people, start with half a cube.
About 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to start
About 3/4 cup Pecorino Romano, freshly grated
About 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped, for garnish
Fresh pasta, five servings. I used creste di gallo from Gamberetti's.
Salt for the pasta water, almost two heaping tablespoons
About 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, if you want it creamier (optional)
Cooking Steps
Get the pasta water going. Salt it so it tastes like the sea and bring it to a boil, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes. If it boils before you're ready, turn it down a bit and keep it at a rolling boil.
Coat the pan with olive oil and heat it on medium for about a minute.
Garlic goes in first. Sauté it for 1 to 2 minutes, until it's a little translucent, before it browns too much.
Add all the mushrooms and cook them down. You can turn the heat up a little here. Cook them for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, to get all the moisture out. That way, when the Marsala goes in, you get all that flavor and you don't dilute it. I like a wooden spoon for this.
Cook the pasta. Fresh pasta takes a lot less time than dried, about 2 to 4 minutes, and you know it's done when it starts to float. Drain it.
Add the Marsala once the mushrooms are browning nicely, and let it reduce down for 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the butter. I put in the whole cube, then another half cube, because I wanted a nice coating on the pasta. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until it melts and you get a beautiful brown caramel color coating everything. If you want cream, add it now, when the butter goes in, and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Taste it, then salt and pepper. Start with about 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, stir for a minute and taste again. Mine needed more salt.
Add the pasta to the pan with about half of the pecorino, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until it's all covered and blended in.
Plate it. The rest of the pecorino goes on top, then a little bit of the parsley.
How simple was that?
Treva's Tips
Salt your pasta water like the sea. You know this one by now. I have never veered from it.
Cook the water out of the mushrooms. It's the biggest part of this dish, about 10 to 12 minutes. If the mushrooms still have their moisture when the Marsala goes in, it waters the flavor down.
Don't buy the cheapest Marsala. If you can see right through it, or it looks thin, like a vinegar, grab the next one up. It thickens up better and gives you more richness.
Use shiitakes. I add them because I love the nutty flavor, and it's great with the sweet Marsala.
Try creste di gallo. It has a little ruffle that looks like a rooster's comb, which is where the name comes from. It's a smaller pasta, but it has a lot of chewiness and depth.
Add a little green. With the butter and pecorino, this is brown on brown, so I chop some Italian parsley for the top. It's aromatic and has a little flavor, but not a lot. If your kids aren't parsley fans, skip it.
Taste your food. You hear it on every cooking show for a reason.
Make It a Meal
Add a protein. Chicken or Italian sausage turns this into a full dinner.
Make it creamy. Heavy whipping cream along with the butter takes it to a whole other level. I skipped it tonight because the lamb with pesto is rich on its own.
Add veggies, or other mushrooms. There are all kinds of lovely mushrooms in season, like chicken of the woods and chanterelles.
Make it for the holidays. This is a great side dish for the holidays, or something to make the night before.
No fresh pasta? Dried works, any kind you like. You can find fresh pasta at the grocery store, or pick up ours at Gamberetti's Italian Restaurant. I've gotten spoiled with fresh. It cooks so much faster, and it floats when it's done, the same way tortellini and ravioli do.
The Wine
With these mushrooms, I had to go with a local Pinot Noir. I splurged a little tonight and opened a 2022 Domaine Serene, from a beautiful winery up in the Dundee area. It's amazing. I let it open a bit first because it was a little tight.
Leftovers and What's Next
Soup season is a fun time to use up leftovers. With the lamb and mushrooms left over from tonight, you can make a lamb and mushroom soup with different aromatics. Put some pasta in it or don't, or add potatoes.
In November I'm planning some soups. Last year we did butternut squash, which is still one of my favorites.
If you want more from my kitchen, last month's pomodoro is up here, and so is my Thanksgiving stuffing.
Let's celebrate the fall. I know I like the summer sun, but I'll keep working on that.
Cheers, and I look forward to seeing you again soon. Bye for now.
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