There’s something nostalgic about this one for me. It was hands-down the most popular pasta on the menu back in my bistro days — the one guaranteed pasta that would walk out of the kitchen door. Creamy, salty, packed with mushrooms and prosciutto, it’s pub comfort food that still feels a bit special. This is my go-to version at home. Plus, it’s not being called ‘carbonara’, so you won’t upset any Italians with the addition of cream!
Serves 2
Ingredients
Pappardelle for 2 (homemade, dried, or fresh from the market)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 eschalot, finely diced
3 large portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp seeded mustard
1 cup thickened cream
½ cup white wine
100 g prosciutto
Handful of fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Grated pecorino, to serve
Salt and cracked black pepper
Method
Make fresh pasta if you’re confident, or cook your pappardelle according to packet instructions. Salt the water once it’s boiling.
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, then sauté the eschalot and garlic until softened and fragrant.
Add the sliced mushrooms and a small knob of butter. Cook until browned and reduced.
Deglaze by pouring in the white wine and let it reduce by about half.
Make the sauce. Add the cream and simmer until slightly thickened. Stir in the seeded mustard, parsley, and tear in the prosciutto.
Add the al dente pasta straight into the sauce along with a splash of pasta water. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta.
Serve
Divide into bowls and finish with grated pecorino and cracked black pepper.
