Mushrooms, pasta, cream, garlic and Parmesan – a dream team for a winning meal. My advice would be to use fresh portabellini or field mushrooms if you can’t find really, really good quality dried porcini at a decent deli. PLEASE do not buy the dried porcini sold at supermarkets, it’s third-grade rubbish imported from China – you might as well eat sawdust. You can also order online from Wild Peacock Purveyors – buy a big bag and split the cost with fellow ‘shroom lovers.
If alcohol is an issue for you, use light vegetable or chicken stock instead of the white wine.
The Head Chef at The Conservatory at The Cellars-Hohenort, Paul Nash, shares his favourite Winter Recipe: Mushroom Pasta
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
500g Tagliatelle
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup dried porcini or 1 punnet sliced fresh portabellini or field mushrooms
2 tablespoons chopped shallots or white onion
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup white wine
1 cup full cream
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
To rehydrate the mushrooms, place them in a bowl with two cups of water and let them soak for about 15 minutes. Water should be warm and not boiling hot. Drain the water from the mushrooms and slice into pieces, keep the stock of the mushrooms to add to your sauce at a later stage. (Cook’s note: If using sliced fresh mushrooms, fry with the onions and garlic.)
Slice your onions and chop your garlic. Heat your pan to a medium heat and add the butter and olive oil, once the oil is hot add the onions and garlic (and fresh mushrooms, if you’re using it) and sauté until golden brown, add the hydrated chopped mushrooms and then the white wine (or stock) and reduce the wine down in the pan to a 1/3 of original amount.
Add the cream and the mushroom / vegetable stock and let reduce until the desired taste has developed, season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to break the richness of the cream in the dish.
Just before the sauce is ready to serve, grate half of the Parmesan cheese into the sauce and pull pan off the heat, add the fresh chopped parsley, and stir into al dente cooked pasta, with the remaining Parmesan to sprinkle over.
About The Cellars-Hohenort
A Relais & Châteaux hotel, The Cellars-Hohenort is part of The Liz McGrath Collection. This five-star destination is located in an area that is known as ‘Cape Town’s Vineyard’ – the historical Constantia Valley, only 15 minutes’ drive from Cape Town’s city centre. The hotel features 51 elegant guest rooms and suites, including a two-bedroom Villa and the exclusive Madiba Villa, with three bedrooms, a dining room, lounge with fireplace, private pool, and a service kitchen and bar. All rooms have breathtaking views of South Africa’s iconic Table Mountain range and the property’s extraordinary gardens.
Two award-winning restaurants, Greenhouse and The Conservatory, take guests on an unforgettable culinary journey. Greenhouse has been consistently ranked as one of the country’s Top 10 Restaurants by the prestigious Eat Out Mercedes-Benz Restaurant Awards on nine occasions in the last ten years.
Stepping in from the natural backdrop of the lush gardens, the Fresh Wellness Spa is a space for guests to unwind and enjoy a selection of pampering signature treatments using indigenous ingredients and authentic spa techniques.
To ensure the most comfortable of stays, The Cellars-Hohenort features two pools, a tennis court and Sun Lounge – as well as its own vineyards. The hotel presents the perfect location for weddings and special functions.
THE CELLARS-HOHENORT
Tel: +27 21 794 2137
Email: reservations@collectionmcgrath.com
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