Truffle Mushroom Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment for easy cleanup.

Trim and halve mushrooms if large (quarter very large ones) so pieces are roughly uniform size to ensure even roasting.

In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, minced garlic, stripped thyme leaves (from the 4 sprigs), olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Toss until mushrooms are evenly coated.

Spread mushrooms in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, cut side down where applicable. Roast in the preheated oven for 18–22 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until mushrooms are deep golden at the edges and tender.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly while you prepare the truffle cream. Reserve any pan juices and add a teaspoon to the truffle cream if desired for extra mushroom flavor.

While mushrooms roast, make the truffle cream. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the heavy cream just until it begins to steam (do not boil). Remove from heat.

Place the soft goat cheese or cream cheese in a small bowl. Pour the warm cream over the cheese and whisk until smooth and emulsified. If the mixture is too thick, add up to 1–2 tablespoons more cream to reach a spreadable consistency.

Stir in truffle oil, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust: add a touch more truffle oil if you prefer a stronger truffle flavor, but add sparingly to avoid overpowering.

If you reserved mushroom pan juices, whisk in 1 tsp now for extra depth. Keep the truffle cream warm in a small covered container, or let it cool to room temperature if serving chilled.

If using sliced fresh mozzarella, arrange slices on a serving platter. If using small bocconcini, scatter them across the platter in clusters.

Spoon or drizzle the truffle cream over the mozzarella in generous dollops (about 2–3 tbs total), leaving some patches of cheese visible.

Distribute the warm thyme-roasted mushrooms evenly over and around the mozzarella and truffle cream.

In a small bowl, toss baby arugula with the extra-virgin olive oil and lemon zest and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Lightly mound the dressed arugula on top of or alongside the mushrooms and cheese.

Finish with a light dusting of freshly grated Parmesan (optional), a few additional cracks of black pepper, and an optional very light drizzle (½ tsp) of truffle oil for aroma. Sprinkle the reserved thyme leaves over the top for garnish.

Serve immediately while mushrooms are warm. Provide crusty bread or crostini if desired to spread the truffle cream and enjoy with the mushrooms and mozzarella.