Eataly

Passport & Plate - Lemon Mushroom A La Pobre Pasta

Philippines | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 3 photos

Ingredients
For the Mushroom a la Pobre:

Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
Olive Oil
Champignon Mushrooms, sliced
Butter, salted
Soya Sauce
Salt
Black Pepper, ground
Water

For the Lemon Pasta:

Spaghetti or any type of pasta
Lemon, zested and juiced
Cream
Olive Oil
Parmesan, grated
Thyme
Salt
Black Pepper, ground
Basil, thinly sliced
Garlic, finely chopped

 

How to prepare this recipe
Boil water on a large pot, adding salt to minimize boiling time.

While waiting for the water to boil, finely chop the garlic and slice the mushrooms. Brown the garlic using olive oil on moderate fire, just until crispy and golden brown. Set aside.

Once the water has boiled, put the pasta into the pot. Lower the heat and add a teaspoon of olive oil to avoid the noodles from sticking to each other.

While waiting for the pasta to boil, whisk the lemon juice, cream and olive oil until they are blended together. Depending on the serving size, the ratio for the three should be as such, per serving:

Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon olive oil

Check the texture of the pasta and drain as soon as it is cooked perfectly al dente. Set this aside.

To prepare the mushroom a la pobre, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over a skillet on low fire. Once the butter has melted, sauté some garlic lightly. Afterwards, put the sliced Champignon mushrooms into the skillet until it turns golden with butter. Add one teaspoon of soy sauce to add flavor. Season with pepper to taste. Salt may be added, too, but only if desired.

While waiting for the mushrooms to turn golden, you may prepare the pasta sauce by sautéing the garlic on olive oil in a deep skillet over low heat. After about two minutes, pour in the lemon-cream-oil mixture into a pan, adding a tablespoon of tap water per ratio of the mixture. Bring the sauce to a bubble by increasing the heat. Once warm enough, season the sauce with thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the pasta into the skillet with the sauce and keep on low heat for about five minutes to let the pasta absorb the sauce.

Once it is ready, transfer pasta onto the serving dish. Put the mushroom a la pobre atop the pasta, and serve with crunchy garlic on top to increase taste and flavor.

Bring out the utensils and enjoy!

 

The story behind this recipe
It wasn't until I got back from Italy, after meeting a fellow Filipino students to celebrate the Christmas season that I truly missed home and my family. Not only did I miss my family and friends, I most especially missed the bond we had and the experiences we would have during feasts and family reunions. I missed the richness of the flavour, spices and the loving hands of my grandmother and mother that would complete each dish.

After having talked to my family over Skype, I had realized I missed this simple appetizer my mom would always make for us.

When i was young, my father would always be assigned to go to Singapore for work. Everytime he would come home, my mom made him a simple dish she called "Mushroom a la Pobre" and it was always one of the things that he looked forward to when coming home. Thus, this became quite a family favorite and even as my siblings and I would come home from school or university, we would always have this craving for mom's mushrooms.

As I was about to go to the supermarket the following day, I saw my friend post of a Lemon Spaghetti she had just cooked. It apparently was a recipe from the Tuscan region, which was the last I had visited in Italy. And suddenly, my taste buds were jolted like a light bulb in a light bulb moment. I thought i could tweak the recipe and combine it with my mom's mushrooms. That way, I could have a little taste of home, from my real home and my newfound home, away from home. Thus, the Lemon Mushroom A La Pobre Pasta was born,