I made this mushroom and pine nut pasta during the first real trip we made after our lockdown ended. Our first road trip was to drive to Puglia to see Domenico’s mother. We hadn’t seen her since Christmas! She weathered the lockdown just fine since, basically, she’s been on lockdown for the past 2 years. Since she is not that mobile anymore (she’s 98!) the farthest she walks is down her long hallway to the window to look out at the sea.
When I first married Domenico we would go to Bari and Nonna would of course do all the cooking. I’ve learned a great deal over the years, but slowly, without even really realizing it, the cooking has shifted to me when we are there. Sometimes I make things that I learned from Rosa, but more often I am inspired by the amazing produce that I find in the market and take it from there, creating new dishes from what I find.
Puglia has some of the best vegetables in Italy and in fact, when you go to any market anywhere in Italy, many of the fruits and vegetables are actually grown there. Not only do they taste better at the source, but there are some quirky local things that never make it out of the region. Cardoncelli mushrooms are one of those.
Cardoncelli mushrooms are a type of mushroom that, when grown in the wild, can be found near a type of wild cardoon (that is wear the name comes from ) in the very dry and wild areas in the center of Puglia. These days though, most of cardoncelli are cultivated, but they are still some of my favorite mushrooms to cook with. So when I saw them at the market, I decided to make us pasta for lunch. I also picked up a bunch of argula. Again, I’ve only ever seen this type of super spicy wild arugula in Puglia.
This mushroom and pine nut pasta comes together really quickly, but the trick is cooking the mushrooms correctly. You want to let them brown before wilting and the only way to do this is over high heat without stirring. See this little video I did for a demo.
You’re most likely not going to be able to find cardoncelli, but don’t worry. Any kind of mushroom will do. And while I love the spiciness of arugula, a handful of any green (spinach, swiss chard, or even parsley) is just fine. I also sometimes add a chopped scallion at the end (the whites and a bit of green). Please don’t skip the toasted pine nuts. They really do bring the dish together.
Mushrom and Pine Nut Pasta
Yield 4
I made this dish with local cardoncelli mushrooms from Puglia, but you can substitute regular button mushrooms.
Ingredients
- 700 grams/ 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, sliced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 bunch arugula, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
- 500 grams/ 1 pound orecciette
Instructions
Add the olive oil to a large pan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the sliced mushrooms and let them cook without stirring. When you stir them they release liquid, which you want to avoid. Let them cook, browning. If you are worried it’s burning, just give the pan a shake to move them around. Let them cook until tender then add the garlic, season with salt and pepper and let cook another 5 minutes until the garlic is cooked through. Turn off the heat and add the arugula, stirring it to wilt.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving a cup of pasta cooking water.
Heat the mushrooms if they have cooled off, and add the pasta to the pan with the mushrooms, stirring to combine. Add half the water and continue stirring for another minute. Turn off the heat, add the cheese and a bit more water, and stir well to combine. If it seems dry add more water. Add the pine nuts, and stir.
I still remember fondly the cardoncelli pasta I had in Matera. I have read they are the same as what are called king trumpets in the US, but the king trumpets I get do not have the same intense flavor. Of course I miss the view too!
ohh, what a lovely picture, reminds me of my nonna!