Pasta with Mushroom Aglio e Olio

I finally found fresh button mushrooms that weren’t that expensive (fresh button mushroom are very expensive in Manila when you can find them). The problem was I wasn’t ready to cook pasta yet and the mushrooms were turning brown. So I sliced the mushrooms and sauteed them in some olive oil and kept it in the refrigerator until I was ready to cook pasta 2 days later.

I used the porcini mushroom pasta I bought from Metro Gaisano supermarket. It was quite expensive but well worth it. When I cook I don’t measure ingredients. I just eyeball them (like Rachel Ray!). So the recipe below is an approximation of what I actually used.

Pasta with Mushroom Aglio e Olio
250 grams/1/2 lb. pasta (I used Passion Pasta porcini mushroom linguine)
1/3 cup garlic, minced
450 grams/1 lb. fresh mushrooms or 1 cup cooked mushrooms, sliced (do not wash mushrooms, if needed just wipe lightly with a damp cloth)
1/2 cup fresh parmesan or grana padano cheese, grated
1/3 cup olive oil

1. Pour 1/3 cup or more of olive oil into a pan and heat well.

2. Add in the garlic and saute until lightly browned. Do not overcook or it will taste bitter. You may add some red pepper flakes at this point if you want more kick in your pasta.

3. Add in the mushrooms. If using uncooked fresh mushrooms cook on medium-high heat until done. If using pre-cooked mushrooms just heat thoroughly.

4. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper.

5. Add the pasta straight from the pot. No need to drain the pasta. (When boiling pasta don’t forget to add a generous amount of salt to the water before adding the pasta. Do not add oil.) If the pasta with mushrooms is a bit dry you can add some pasta water to the pan.

6. Add in the parmesan cheese. Mix well. Taste it and add more salt and pepper if needed.

7. Transfer to a serving dish. Serves 2-3 people.

I added some crunchy chili garlic oil on top before serving to intensify the garlic in the pasta. It was very, very good. It’s one of the best pasta dishes I’ve created so far. A big factor is the porcini mushroom pasta. It had a very earthy mushroom flavor which blended well with the fresh mushrooms and simple garlic and oil sauce.

Pasta with Mushroom Aglio e Olio