Four Mushroom Saffron Pici
This Four Mushroom Saffron Pici features thick rustic strands of hand-rolled pasta dressed with a simple four-mushroom sauce spiked with dry vermouth and finished with a sprinkling of shredded Parmigiano Reggiano.
Equipment
- 1 Large baking sheet
- 1 Large Cast Iron Skillet
- 1 mortar and pestle
Ingredients
Saffron Pici
- ½ tsp saffron threads **
- 1½ cups lukewarm water
- 2⅓ cups 00 flour ***
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- semolina flour for dusting
Four Mushroom Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 shallots peeled and thinly sliced
- 227g (8oz) button mushrooms sliced
- 227g (8oz) cremini mushrooms sliced
- 100g (3.5oz) shiitake mushrooms stems removed
- 1 maitake (hen of the woods) torn into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ cup dry vermouth ****
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano shredded
- ¼ cup curly parsley finely chopped
Instructions
For the Pici
- Place the saffron in a mortar and pestle and grind it into a fine powder. Transfer to a bowl and pour the water over top. Set aside.½ tsp saffron threads **, 1½ cups lukewarm water
- In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour and salt. Form a well in the center and add the saffron water and the olive oil.2⅓ cups 00 flour ***, 1 tsp salt, ¼ cup olive oil
- Start mixing the dry ingredients into the wet. When the dough becomes too thick to stir, switch to your hands and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and silky. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes.
- Roll the rested dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. Cut the dough into 1/2-inch ribbons. Working with one ribbon at a time, roll the ribbons into long strands of circular noodles. Cover the remaining ribbons as you work, so they don’t dry out. *****
- Transfer the finished Pici to a baking sheet dusted with semolina flour. Gather the Pici up into a series of bundles. You should have 4-5 bundles. Dust the bundles with semolina and cover them with a tea towel. Set aside until ready to cook.semolina flour
For the Sauce
- Pour the olive oil into a large cast iron skillet and place it over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the shallots and a generous sprinkling of salt. Sauté until the shallots are just translucent.2 tbsp olive oil, 4 shallots
- Add half of the mushrooms to the skillet and sauté until the decrease in volume. Stir in the remaining half and saute until golden. ******227g (8oz) button mushrooms, 227g (8oz) cremini mushrooms, 100g (3.5oz) shiitake mushrooms, 1 maitake (hen of the woods)
- Add the butter and the vermouth and cook until most of the vermouth has cooked off, about 5-7 minutes.2 tbsp butter, ½ cup dry vermouth ****
To Assemble
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and liberally salt the water. Add the Pici and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Transfer the Pici to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Retain about a cup of the cooking liquid. Add the cheese and a splash of pasta water and quickly toss to coat. Only add enough pasta water to form a glossy sauce.½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
- Stir in the parsley and divide the Pici across four plates. Garnish each with additional shredded Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.¼ cup curly parsley
Notes
** If you don't have saffron you can skip this step.
*** I have made this dough with all-purpose flour, so if you can't find 00 flour, use all-purpose instead.
**** You can substitute white wine for the vermouth if you prefer.
***** Make sure you don't flour the surface you're rolling your pasta on too heavily. You want the dough to retain its moisture so it submits to the shaping. I didn't use any flour at all.
****** Don't worry about crowding the mushrooms. We want them to generate a sauce, so steaming them slightly serves our cause.