Creamy Chanterelle Tagliatelle
Creamy mushroom pasta made with fresh chanterelles, tagliatelle, white wine, Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh thyme. The silky cream sauce coats the pasta while sautéed chanterelles add a tender, meaty texture and earthy flavor, balanced by lemon zest and black pepper. This easy chanterelle pasta recipe is perfect for a cozy dinner or a seasonal weekend meal.
🍽️ Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 100 g tagliatelle
- 100 g fresh chanterelles
- 7.5 g unsalted butter
- 0.5 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 25 g dry white wine
- 50 g heavy cream
- 10 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
- 2.5 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated (for garnish)
- 50 g pasta cooking water
- 0.5 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Zest of 0.25 fresh lemon
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Submerge the chanterelles briefly in a bowl of warm, lightly salted water to loosen any dirt or grit. Swirl them quickly, drain immediately, and thoroughly pat them dry with paper towels. Trim off the tough woody ends of the stems and cut any larger mushrooms so they are all roughly uniform in size.
- Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook the tagliatelle until al dente. Reserve 75 g of pasta water before draining.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chanterelles to the dry pan and cook for about 5 minutes until their moisture has completely evaporated and they are lightly browned. Do not add oil or butter at this stage.
- Add the butter and shallot to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes until the shallot softens.
- Add the minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant without letting the garlic brown.
- Pour in the white wine and cook for about 2 minutes until almost completely reduced.
- Add the thyme leaves
- Add the heavy cream and cook for about 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add 50 g of the reserved pasta water and 10 g of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Stir continuously until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes smooth and silky.
- Add the cooked tagliatelle to the pan and toss for about 1 minute until the sauce evenly coats the pasta. Add a little extra pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Transfer to a plate and finish with the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh lemon zest, chopped parsley, and freshly ground black pepper.
Tips & More Info
Cleaning chanterelles gently
Chanterelles can hold dirt deep inside their folds, so a quick rinse in warm salted water helps loosen it without leaving them waterlogged. The important part is drying them thoroughly afterward, since surface moisture will interfere with browning.
Dry sautéing the chanterelles first
Starting the mushrooms in a dry pan allows their excess moisture to evaporate before butter is added. This concentrates their flavor and gives them a more pronounced golden color instead of allowing them to steam.
Why reduce the white wine well?
Reducing the wine concentrates its acidity and aroma while removing the raw alcohol character. This gives the sauce brightness without making it taste noticeably wine forward.
Add lemon zest at the end
Fresh lemon zest brings aromatic citrus oils that brighten the rich cream, butter, and cheese. Adding it after cooking preserves those delicate aromas and keeps the mushroom flavor fresh.
Do not overcook the tagliatelle
Tagliatelle continues cooking when tossed with the hot sauce, so taking it out at al dente gives you enough room for the final minute in the pan. This keeps the pasta firm enough to contrast with the silky sauce.
Fresh parsley for freshness
Parsley adds a clean herbal note that cuts through the richness of the cream and cheese. It works best as a finishing ingredient rather than being cooked into the sauce, where its fresh character would be muted.