A few months ago, a package of laganelle al tartufo (thin egg tagliatelle pasta flavored with truffle) made by Rustichella d’Abruzzo landed on my desk. I brought it home and forgot it in a kitchen cabinet—until last night, when I was foraging the kitchen for dinner ideas. Uhm, what could I make with truffle pasta? I found some dried porcini (also hiding in a forgotten corner) and some fresh shiitakes that desperately needed to be used. I had heavy cream, fresh onions, and mint…The wheels started spinning.

 

I sliced the onion and sautéed it in a bit of olive oil, then added the shiitakes I had sliced thinly and the porcini I had soaked in warm water, drained, and squeezed to get out as much liquid as possible. I deglazed the pan with some of the porcini soaking water and a little white wine and once both the onions and mushrooms were soft and slightly browned, I added a bit of heavy cream—not too much; just enough to lend the sauce a bit of creaminess without overpowering it.

 

I sprinkled on some chopped mint (I wanted thyme but had none in the fridge) and tossed the sauce with the cooked laganelle. The result? An unusually special Tuesday night dinner that came together in less than half an hour.