Tagliatelle carciofi e funghi (Tagliatelle with Artichoke Hearts and Mushrooms)

Frank25 November 2017pasta, pastas, soups and risottos/primi piatti39 Comments

In many ways, we lovers of Italian food here in the US are lucky. The current popularity of Italian food means that you can find just about any kind of Italian pantry product you like, from everyday staples like imported pasta or canned tomatoes to relatively esoteric ingredients like colatura or bottarga. At a price, of course.

With a cupboard full with imported products bought at a fancy Italian deli, it should be a breeze to reproduce the dishes you enjoyed on your last vacation in Italy, right? Well, not necessarily. There are still some real challenges, and you’ll encounter the biggest one right in the produce section of your supermarket. The quality of fresh produce in this country can be truly lamentable, and that’s a problem, since quality fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to authentic Italian cookery.

Artichokes are a good example. I can’t remember the last time I found an artichoke in a local supermarket that wasn’t crinkled and spotted, its tell-tale open leaves betraying the fact it had been sitting around way too long. I’ve basically given up counting on finding a decent fresh artichoke.

But there are some options. Farmers markets, of course, provide an alternative to supermarket chains, even if the prices can be high and the selection limited—as it should be—to stuff that can be grown locally. And frozen vegetables provide a perfectly acceptable option for certain vegetables. We all know and love frozen peas, but frozen artichoke hearts are actually pretty darn good, too. You’ll have to forego recipes like carciofi alla giudia that call for whole artichokes, but they will work perfectly well in the many Italian recipes calling for artichoke hearts cut into wedges. And they’re really convenient, avoiding the rather laborious trimming you need to do with fresh artichokes.

Take today’s dish: tagliatelle carciofi e funghi, or tagliatelle with artichokes and mushrooms. Frozen artichoke hearts are quickly parboiled, then cut into thin wedges and sautéed briefly with shallots and mushrooms, then simmered in broth. This simple condimento pairs beautifully with egg pasta, in particularly the eponymous tagliatelle. An elegant first course that should take you no more than 15-20 minutes to make.

Ingredients

Serves 4

300g (10.5 oz) tagliatelle, homemade or store-bought
300g (10.5 oz) frozen artichoke hearts
300g (10.5 oz) mushrooms
2 shallots, peeled and finely minced
A ladleful of water or broth, preferably homemade
Butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
A sprig of fresh parsley, finely minced (optional)

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring well-salted water to a boil and throw in the frozen artichoke hearts. Let them parboil for about 3 minutes, then run them under cold water and drain. Slice them into thin wedges.

Slice the mushrooms or cut them into small pieces, depending on the size and shape of your mushrooms.

Melt a knob of butter in some olive oil in a skillet or braiser over gentle heat. Add the minced shallots and let them soften well. Raise the heat to moderate and add the artichoke and mushroom, mixing them well with the shallots. Let everything sauté for 2 or 3 minutes.

When the mushrooms and artichokes are almost tender, add a ladleful of the water in which the artichokes were parboiled or some broth, and let everything simmer until the liquid has reduced but not quite evaporated. Add some minced parsley if you like. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, bring the water in which the artichokes have parboiled back to a boil. Add the tagliatelle.

When the tagliatelle are still just slightly undercooked, add them to the skillet with the artichokes and mushrooms. Mix together, along with a good knob of butter, over very gentle heat until the tagliatelle have absorbed most, but not quite all, of the liquid. (Add more of the pasta water if need be to keep things moist).

Serve immediately, with a sprinkling of minced parsley on top for color if you like.

Notes on Tagliatelle carciofi e funghi

For the mushrooms, porcini are the classic choice, but fresh porcini are about as rare a unicorns in the area where I live. This week I found these lovely chanterelles at our local Whole Foods—perhaps my favorite mushroom— and they were delicious. And, in any event, the recipe is forgiving. You can use any kind of mushroom you like. Even with regular button mushrooms, the dish will still be good.

You can also use dried porcinis or other mushroom if you like. Soak a small packet of them in warm water until soft, squeeze them dry then add them to the skillet along with the shallots. Add the soaking liquid (filtered to rid it of any sediment) to the skillet instead of water or broth to make the sauce. The dried mushrooms and liquid will give the sauce a dark, intensely woodsy flavor. Very different from this version but very good indeed.

For a saucier version of tagliatelle carciofi e funghi, add a spoonful of flour to the skillet after you’ve sautéed the artichokes and mushrooms, let the flour cook for a minute or so, then add a good cupful or more of broth or, if using dried mushroom, their soaking liquid. Let simmer until the liquid has thickened a bit and the vegetables are fully tender. Some recipes call for cream, too.

Carnivores may want to add some pancetta along with the shallots to lend more savor to their tagliatelle carciofi e funghi. Use water or vegetable broth if you want a vegetarian version. And if you want to veganize the dish, cut out the butter (using a bit more olive oil) and turn to an eggless pasta instead of tagliatelle. I think penne or pennette would be particularly nice.

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