When a food tastes really delicious, don’t just serve a little bit. Go all the way! Don’t just cook a couple of morel mushrooms; cook enough to satisfy demand! The morel hunting season has begun and there are plenty available. Pictured here are three pounds of morels right before we cooked them.
The best way to showcase morels is pairing them with eggs, pasta, or rice — because the plain background allows the mushrooms to shine. Fat is very important to carry the flavor of the morels; I like to saute them in butter and then douse with heavy cream.
Fresh Pasta with Morels
Melt the butter and saute the shallot until clear, about 3 minutes. Add the morels and cook on high heat for a minute. Add the cream and season very well with salt and pepper. Toss in the freshly-boiled pasta and add lots of cheese.