This creamy linguine with mushrooms, ricotta and toasted pine nuts is the perfect pasta dish when you want dinner to be both easy and full of flavour.
By blending ricotta, Parmesan and half of the fried mushrooms, you get a silky-smooth sauce. The remaining mushrooms and crispy pine nuts add bite and texture.
Serve with a fresh salad and a good piece of bread.
Ingredients
- 500 g linguine
- 400 g mushrooms
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Olive oil
MUSHROOM RICOTTA SAUCE
- 80 g Parmesan *
- 100 g ricotta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½–1 tsp salt and pepper
- 150–200 ml boiling water
- half of the fried mushrooms
TOPPING
- half of the fried mushrooms
- 30 g pine nuts
- freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil
* To make this dish vegetarian, use Parmesan or another hard cheese made without animal rennet.
Method
- Finely grate the Parmesan and place it in a blending cup together with the ricotta, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Roughly chop the mushrooms and bring the pasta water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
- Heat your frying pan for a few minutes on low heat, then gradually turn up to medium heat and toast the pine nuts until they turn golden brown. Transfer them to a small plate and set aside.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan without any fat and cook for 4–5 minutes until they begin to release their moisture. Then add 3–4 tbsp olive oil, thyme and a crushed clove of garlic, and cook until the mushrooms start to brown.
- Turn off the heat and place half of the mushrooms on a plate. Add the remaining mushrooms to the Parmesan-ricotta mixture.
- Add boiling water to the mixture and blend until smooth and creamy. Add the water 50 ml at a time to control the consistency. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- When the pasta is cooked, toss it with the mushroom ricotta sauce. Top with the fried mushrooms, toasted pine nuts, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
