Recipes

Corn Fettuccine with Black Trumpet and Purple Wine Cap Mushrooms, Lemon Verbena, and Bûcheron

Tim Wiechmann

BRONWYN, Somerville, MA

To make this pasta, Tim Wiechmann uses a mix of corn flour with the more traditional semolina flour. If you can’t find lemon verbena, substitute fresh lemon zest to taste. If you can’t find fresh black trumpet mushrooms, soak dried mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons corn flour
  • 1 1/2 cups semolina flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • Olive oil as needed
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 cup black trumpet mushrooms
  • 1 cup purple wine cap or portabella mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 spring fresh lemon verbena, leaves removed and finely chopped
  • 2/3 cup crumbled Bûcheron cheese
  • 1/2 cup crème fraîche
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Grated Parmesan for garnish

Method

To make the pasta dough, mix together the corn flour and semolina flour in a large mixing bowl. Form a large well in the center of the flour. Add the eggs and water to the well. Using a fork, puncture the egg yolks, then trace the edge of well to start mixing flour into the wet ingredients. Continue until enough flour has been incorporated into the eggs and water to make a stiff mass. Use your hands to mix in the remaining flour. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Roll the dough into an 1/8-inch-thick rectangle. Dust well with flour and fold each short end toward the center, like a business letter. Cut the dough into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Unroll and separate the noodles. Dust with additional flour and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop in the pasta and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving a little pasta water.

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and sauté until translucent and soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the chopped lemon verbena leaves, Bûcheron cheese, and crème fraîche and stir until the cheese has melted. Add the cooked pasta and toss. (Add a little pasta water to thin out the sauce, if necessary.) Season with salt and pepper. Finish with grated Parmesan.

Yield

8 servings