Mushroom & Truffle Linguine Recipe

Prepare ingredients

Clean mushrooms by brushing or wiping with a damp cloth; avoid rinsing under water. Slice mushrooms into even pieces. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Measure out thyme, truffle paste, stock and wine.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter foams, add the sliced mushrooms in a single layer (work in batches if necessary) so they brown rather than steam.

Cook mushrooms, undisturbed, for 4–5 minutes until underside is browned, then stir and cook another 2–3 minutes until most liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are golden. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the same pan. Add diced onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and starting to caramelize, about 6–8 minutes.

Add minced garlic and thyme; cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits. Allow wine to reduce by half, about 2–3 minutes.

Return the browned mushrooms to the pan. Pour in the stock and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow the ragout to reduce slightly, about 5 minutes, so the flavors concentrate.

Stir in the truffle paste (or minced truffle), season with the measured salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep ragout warm on very low heat while you make the sauce and pasta.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the water. Add linguine and cook according to package instructions until al dente (usually 8–10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.

While pasta cooks, in a medium saucepan set over medium heat pour the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil). Simmer for 3–4 minutes to slightly thicken.

Whisk in the grated Parmesan a little at a time until the sauce is smooth and coats the back of a spoon. Add lemon juice to brighten the cream. If sauce is too thick, stir in some reserved pasta water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until you reach a silky consistency.

Add the warm mushroom ragout to the cream sauce and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you want a stronger truffle flavor, stir in the optional truffle oil sparingly (about 1 teaspoon) at this stage.

Add the drained linguine directly to the pan with the truffle cream and mushrooms. Toss vigorously, adding reserved pasta water as needed (up to the reserved cup) to create an emulsion that coats the pasta evenly. Cook together for 1–2 minutes so the pasta absorbs the sauce.

Finish with chopped parsley and an extra grind of black pepper. Divide among plates and, if desired, shave a little extra Parmesan or a few slivers of fresh truffle on top before serving.