Pioppino Pasta

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

7 ounces mixed mushrooms, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

½ pound bucatini

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup heavy cream

⅓ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

½ ounce parmesan cheese, finely grated

1 lemon, halved

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and cook the pasta in the boiling water for 2 minutes less than the cooking time listed on their package. (The pasta will finish cooking in a later step.) Drain the pasta, saving 1 cup of the pasta water.
Heat oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and mushrooms to a hot pan and sauté them, stirring occasionally, until the moisture from the mushrooms has cooked off and the mushrooms and shallots are seared, caramelized, and golden-brown, 8–10 minutes.
Add the garlic and the rest of the butter to the pan and cook everything for 1 minute.
Combine the sautéed mushroom and shallot mixture with the pasta in either a pot or a large, high-sided skillet. Add the cream and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and bring the ingredients to a simmer. Stir constantly until the pasta is al dente and the pasta sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the juice from half a lemon (optional to also include the lemon zest), parsley, parmesan, and black pepper to the cooked pasta. Toss to combine everything, adding salt or additional black pepper to your preference.