Pasta with Wild Mushrooms

Just 4 u

1 oz. (two small packages) dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 Cup dry white wine
4 oz. Pancetta, finely diced
2 Tbs. Unsalted butter
2 Lb. assorted mushrooms (Portobello, Crimini, Common
White, etc.), thinly sliced
2 Shallots, peeled and finely diced
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
salt & freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Cup heavy cream
1 Lb. long pasta (Spaghetti, linguine, etc.)
4 Tbs. flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped


Combine the dried porcini and the wine in a cup or small bowl and soak for
thirty minutes. Fill a large pot with four to six quarts of water and bring
to a boil. Heat a large saute pan to medium−high, and add the diced
pancetta. Saute until it renders some fat and becomes slightly crisp. Lower
the heat if it seems too high.

Add the butter and allow it to melt. When the bubbles have subsided, add the
fresh mushrooms. If your saute pan can't accomodate them all at once, do
this step in two batches. Saute the mushrooms until they have given up their
juices and the juices have all but evaporated. In the meantime, when the
pasta water boils, add the pasta to the water. Stir to be sure the strands
are submerged and separated.

Raise the heat to high and add the porcini and wine, being careful at the
bottom of the cup that no sand that might have come from the porcini, gets
into the sauce. If you've cooked the fresh mushrooms in two batches,
recombine them now. Add the shallots and thyme and saute, stirring
frequently, until the wine has nearly evaporated.
Taste for salt & pepper and add to your taste. Add the cream and allow it to
boil until it has reduced and thickened. Remove from the heat.

When the pasta is cooked to the al dente state, drain in a collander and
either pour it onto a platter, or divide it among four dishes. Either pour
all of the mushroom sauce over the pasta in the platter, or spoon one fourth
over each of the dishes. Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve
immediately