Angel Hair Pasta with Whipped Cream & Porcini
Submitted by hmetselaar
Luxurious angel hair pasta folded with earthy porcini, sautéed mushrooms, and clouds of whipped cream for an indulgent Italian-inspired dish.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
45 minCOOK
20 minREADY
65 minThis is pasta at its most decadent: dried porcini mushrooms rehydrated in warm water (save that liquid, it’s umami gold), then simmered with fresh mushrooms and shallots until the pan is nearly dry.
The real magic happens when you fold in freshly whipped cream and Parmesan while the pasta is still hot, creating a sauce that’s simultaneously light and rich, coating each strand without weighing it down.
It’s fancy enough for a dinner party but simple enough for a Tuesday when you want to treat yourself.
Chef Tips
- Soak porcini fully: Forty-five minutes in warm water rehydrates them completely and creates a flavorful mushroom liquor for the sauce.
- Fold gently: Use a large spatula to fold ingredients together carefully so the whipped cream doesn’t deflate completely.
- Whip cream to soft peaks: Over-whipped cream will be grainy; stop when it just holds its shape.
- Work quickly: Toss everything while the pasta is hot so the cream melts slightly and coats the strands.
Variations
- Add truffle oil: Drizzle with truffle oil just before serving for an even more luxurious touch.
- Try different mushrooms: Mix in shiitake or oyster mushrooms with the fresh mushrooms for complexity.
- Make it lighter: Replace half the whipped cream with crème fraîche for tang.
Ingredients
Directions
Place the porcini in a small bowl and and ½ cup warm water. Allow to soak 45 minutes.
Drain, reserving the liquid.
Heat a large frying pan. Add the oil and shallots, and sauté a minute.
Add the fresh mushrooms and sauté until tender.
Chop the porcini coarsely and add to the frying pan, along with the reserved liquid.
Simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil along with a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it holds soft peaks. Refrigerate the whipped cream until the pasta is cooked. Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente.
Drain well, return the drained pasta to the pot and add the mushroom mixture, cheese, whipped cream and salt and pepper to taste.
Using a large spatula, fold all of the ingredients together. Do this quickly, yet carefully, so that the whipped cream doesn’t collapse entirely. You may want to save a bit of the whipped cream to dollop on top of the pasta as a garnish.
Serve immediately.
- Or other dried mushrooms
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