Mushroom, Ham, and Cream Sauce

This sauce builds flavor by cooking mushrooms until their moisture is driven off, then finishing with ham and cream. The pasta is tossed in a separate butter-and-cream base and finished with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Mushroom, Ham, and Cream Sauce

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Servings: 68 servings

Course: Main Dish

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

Main Ingredients

• 3/4 lb fresh mushrooms either white button or cremini (340 g)
• 3 Tbsp butter 40 g
• 2 Tbsp shallot or onion chopped fine (30 ml)
• Salt
• Black pepper ground fresh from the mill
• 6 oz boiled unsmoked ham 170 g, cut into very narrow julienne strips
• 6 Tbsp heavy whipping cream 90 ml
• The homemade fettuccine suggested below
• For tossing the pasta:
• 2 Tbsp butter 30 g
• 6 Tbsp heavy whipping cream 90 ml
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese 45 g, plus additional cheese at the table

Equipment

• Skillet

Method

 

1. Trim the mushroom stem ends, rinse quickly, dry well, and dice into 1/4-inch cubes.
2. In a saute pan, cook the shallot/onion in butter over medium heat until pale gold.
3. Add mushrooms over high heat and stir to coat. When they absorb the butter, lower heat, season with salt and pepper, and turn them a few times.
4. When mushrooms release liquid, raise heat and boil it away, stirring often.
5. Add ham and stir for about 1 minute or less. Add cream and cook just until slightly thickened. Taste and correct seasoning, then set aside.
6. In flameproof serving ware, warm the tossing butter and tossing cream over low heat until combined, then turn off.
7. Rewarm the mushroom sauce over low heat. Cook pasta and drain very firm al dente, even slightly underdone.
8. Transfer pasta to the butter-cream base, toss well over low heat, add half the mushroom sauce, toss, add Parmesan, toss again, turn off heat, then spoon the remaining sauce over the top and serve with extra cheese.

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