I’m on a mission to recreate all dishes that I fell in love with in Milan. This time, it’s pasta with porcini mushroom.

There was a small outdoors food market next to our hotel that was open almost everyday, which was quite convenient. One stall was dedicated to mushrooms and truffles. It smelled heavenly and also like dirt. The salesperson’s hands were black from all the dirt but we overlooked this and grabbed as many dried porcini mushrooms bag as our hands can handle and most importantly, our already exploded luggage can take.

I had no plans last night and decided it was finally the time I use these mushrooms, as I was quite intimidated by them. I later found out, I had no reason to!

So what do you need to recreate this dish?

Serves 1.5

• pasta (whichever you prefer, I chose spaghettini)
• a handful of dried porcini mushroms, around 1/4 cup
• 1/5 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• parmesan cheese
• chopped parsley
• 250 grams (1/4 stick) butter
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• truffle oil (optional)

Add a cup of boiling water to the mushrooms and set aside for 20 minutes.

Boil salted water for the pasta and cook pasta as instructed. Meanwhile, melt butter in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil on medium-low heat and add the onions. Fry for a few minutes, around 3-4 minutes, until soft and a little browned. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute.

Drain the mushrooms and save the stock for later. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until tender, another 3-4 minutes. Add 2 ladle-fulls of the mushroom stock and cook until it thickens slightly.

Season with salt and pepper. You need to be quite generous with the salt. Drizzle some truffle oil to taste.

Once the pasta is done and drained, bring it back to the pot and add the mushroom sauce and mix over low heat. If it’s too dry, add more mushroom stock.

Sprinkle with the parsley and shaved parmesan cheese and you are ready to serve.

Enjoy!