pici ai funghi
pici with porcini
I like pici. And it’s not just becuase of my maternal grandparents’ family roots, north of Siena. Still a relatively unknown pasta shape outside Italy, pici pair amazingly well with a huge range of sauces. In Tuscany, of course, it’s very easy to find chiller-cabinet, freshly prepared pici. On recent holidays I’ve bought outstanding fresh pici from many of the major supermarket chains, including Conad, Carrefour and PAM.
The pici and porcini on this page were bought from a tiny PAM right opposite our Airbnb apartment in Pisa. The porcini came from a street stall in Piazza delle Vettovaglie. Porcini are the Rolls Royce of Italian mushrooms, but if you can’t find them, oyster mushrooms are a fantastic substitute, and actually a mushroom that I often prefer to porcini!
One of the favourite herbs in Italy for combining with mushrooms is parsley, but I also really enjoy fresh thyme, so I’ve given the option for that too on the left.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO DO
(scroll down for the full method)
• prepare the mushrooms
• crush and fry the garlic
• cook the mushrooms
• boil the pasta
• combine with the sauce
• plate and serve
pici with porcini
INGREDIENTS
FOR FOUR PEOPLE
• 600g / 21oz fresh porcini
• 1 clove of garlic
• fresh parsley/oregano
• white wine
• pink or cayenne pepper
PASTA
400g/14oz dry/fresh pici (Pam)
MANTECATURA
minimal
METHOD
Begin by cleaning the porcini with a damp cloth and then slicing them. Crush a clove of garlic and begin to fry it gently on a low heat in EVO. Don’t let it colour at all - you can add a splash of water to help.
Add the mushrooms to the garlic and cook them until 95% tender (adding a splash of wine and being careful not to let them dry out at all), then begin to boil the pasta.
When the pasta’s 99% done to your tastes, fish it out of the boiling pan and add to a tossing pan with the mushrooms and garlic.
Add the chopped herbs nd a tiny splash of pasta cooking water and toss to combine.
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of pecorino toscano and either freshly ground black or pink (which can sometimes have a more floral taste), or cayenne pepper for a hint of heat.
NUTRITION per serving
KCAL: 245
Fat (g): 4.6
Sat Fat (g): 0.7
Carb (g): 32.5
Sug (g): 1.3
Fibre(g): 3.7
Prot (g): T8.6
Salt (g): 0.03
Nutritional information is provided as an indication only of approximate values for the recipe on this page. You should make your own calculations if you have specific dietry requirements or are required to follow a strict calorie-controlled diet.
