Morel Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese
This creamy morel pasta is packed with rich, savory flavor from pancetta, leeks, and mushrooms, all tossed in a rosemary-infused goat cheese sauce. It’s an elegant but easy dish that comes together in under an hour.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dry pasta we used einkorn pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta finely diced
- 2 shallots finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 8 ounces morel mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups leeks sliced and rinsed in cold water
- 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the Goat Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh rosemary
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 8 ounces soft goat cheese
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the Rosemary-Goat Cheese Sauce:
- In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and stir in the rosemary until the butter just begins to brown. Add the white wine and milk, bring to a boil, reduce to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes, reducing in volume slightly. Stir in the goat cheese, simmer for an additional minute. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat, cover and reserve.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions, drain, cover and reserve.
- While the pasta water is heating, add the olive oil to a large skillet set over moderate heat and add the pancetta. Cook, stirring frequently until crisp. Remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. In the same skillet, add the shallots, garlic and morel mushrooms and cook just until softened. Add the sliced leeks, thyme and lemon juice and the reserved rosemary-goat cheese sauce and mix well.
- Transfer the pasta to a large serving dish and pour the mushroom cream sauce over the top, Toss to combine.
- Arrange the pasta on individual warmed plates and garnish with lemon wedges.
Notes
Clean morels well: Swish briefly in cold water to remove grit, then pat dry so they brown instead of steam.
Soften the leeks: Cook over gentle heat until silky. Avoid high heat that makes them stringy.
Use whole milk or cream: The fat helps the sauce emulsify and coat the pasta smoothly.
Salt carefully: Goat cheese and pancetta are naturally salty. Taste before adding extra.
Serve right away: The sauce thickens as it cools, so plate it hot for the best texture.
Finish with lemon: A squeeze of fresh juice at the end keeps the flavors bright.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 304mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g
