I love mushrooms for their natural and infused tastes and the textures of each one. They are readily available in supermarkets and more varieties at local farmers markets. Twice a month I’ve been buying different kinds. However, the last 6 weeks I’ve been experimenting with the Trumpet Mushroom, thick wide stem and smaller cap. When sliced the stems take on appearance of a scallop or a sliced tenderloin. With the ingredients I had on hand this past weekend, I made this dish. I wanted to plate it, for a better photo, but it smelled so good, and the pan kept things warm I ate directly from the pan!
Ingredients:
3 to 5 Trumpet Mushrooms, cleaned, stems cut into ½” coins (reserve caps)
3 – 5 Garlic cloves, minced
4 T Olive Oil, more if needed
4 T Butter (unsalted), more if needed
1 T Capers, drained (I used Nonpareil / smaller type)
1 Lemon, zested, juiced
White wine, for simmering
Parmesan cheese, grated
Fresh parsley, minced for garnish
Thin spaghetti, cooked al dente (angel hair or vermicelli) Save 1 cup pasta water
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Add oil and butter to a large skillet to warm up and melt on low/med heat. Add crushed garlic, stir to coat, reduce heat so as not to burn too quickly. Add mushroom coins and capers to the pan all at once, swirl to coat. Add more olive oil as needed, the mushrooms will absorb the oil and butter. Once edges start to brown, flip over to cook the other side. Add lemon juice and white wine and stir to loosen up and brown bits that may stick to the pan. The wine will evaporate quickly. Add cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, lemon zest, and fresh pepper. Swirl everything to coat. Plate and garnish with cheese and parsley.
Bon Appetite!
Chef’s Notes:
All I had on hand was an orange for this dish, lemons add a nice acidic punch paired with the garlic and capers. This is a faux take on Scallop Piccata. I added some cheese as I was cooking and noticed it thickened up the sauce too early (won’t do that next time). The mushrooms will absorb liquids more so than any other proteins. Experiment, Have Fun & Create!
