Pasta for all seasons

This is a dish for special occasions, and can be eaten warm or cold. It contains truffle oil, which is a very sophisticated and, unfortunately, expensive item. Fresh shiitake and oyster mushrooms are now available everywhere because they are cultivated. There is little point in buying them dried. Chanterelles only grow in the wild and they are in season in the spring. They are very expensive and you can’t afford to experiment with them, so I suggest you follow a recipe, rather than improvising with them.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 150 g (5 oz) shiitake mushrooms
• 150 g (5 oz) oyster mushrooms
• 100 g (4 oz) chanterelles
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 300 g (11 oz) dried fusilli
• 150 g (5 0z) smoked ham, cut into small strips
• 3 tbsp double cream (if eating the dish warm)
• 2 tbsp truffle oil and/or truffle, finely sliced
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Wipe the shiitake, oyster and chanterelle mushrooms with a damp cloth and cut away the tough part of the stalks of the shiitake mushrooms. Cut the oyster and shiitake mushrooms into fine strips or use whole if they are small. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil and fry the oyster and shiitake mushrooms. Add the chanterelles after a few minutes, then cook for another few minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and fry for a further few minutes, then add the lemon juice. Mix well and set aside. Cook the pasta for 8-9 minutes or until slightly softer than al dente. Drain and mix in a bowl with the mushrooms mixture and ham, and add the cream if eating warm. Sprinkle with truffle oil just before serving. Slices of truffle added to this dish make it very, very special.