Angel Hair Pasta With Whipped Cream And Porcini Recipes

ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND PORCINI

Steps:

• Place the porcini in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup warm water. Allow to soak 45 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.
• Heat a large frying pan. Add the oil and shallots and saute a minute. Add the fresh mushrooms and saute 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 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 the ingredients together. Do this quickly, yet carefully, so the whipped cream doesn't collapse entirely.
• Note: this looks beautiful with a dollop of the whipped cream on top of the pasta as a garnish.

BLUSHING ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, warm the olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons water. Simmer until the water cooks out and the garlic becomes tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste with 2 more tablespoons water and cook to "fry" the paste for a minute in the oil, stirring. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook over medium heat until they soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cream. Season with salt to taste. Keep warm.
• In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil. Add a generous handful of salt. Bring the water back up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring with a slotted spoon to make sure it does not clump or stick to the bottom, until al dente, 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid and drain the pasta in a large colander.
• Add the hot pasta right from the colander to the skillet and toss to coat with the cream. Shut the heat off and allow the pasta to rest for 2 minutes. If too thin, gently warm and reduce over low heat for 1 to 2 additional minutes. If it becomes too thick, simply thin it out with some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Serve topped with the cheese.