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Fettuccine with Mozzarella, Mushrooms & Tomatoes

(From CookWise, by Shirley O. Corriher; William Morrow, 1997)

In Sicily, restaurants serve excellent fettuccine with a nonstringy mozzarella sauce. They have the

advantage of very fresh mozzarella, but that was not completely the secret. To get a nonstringy

sauce with store-bought mozzarella, I had to pull every science trick I could, including starch and

lemon juice. This is a delicious pasta and very fresh tasting with just-warmed tomatoes.

Serves six.

6 Tbs. dried mushrooms (cèpes, porcini)

1/3 cup hot water

1 Tbs. plus 1/2 tsp. salt

2 gl. water

2 Tbs. butter

3 Tbs. flour

1/8 tsp. white pepper

1 cup heavy or whipping cream

1 cup milk

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1/2 cup grated mozzarella

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

3/4 cup country ham or prosciutto, finely chopped

4 medium tomatoes (about 2 lb.), peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped

18 oz. fettuccine

Soak the dried mushrooms in the hot water in a small bowl.

Add 1 Tbs. salt to 2 gl. water in a large pot and put over high heat to boil.

While the water is heating, melt the butter in a very large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour,

1/2 tsp. salt, and pepper and simmer over low heat for 2 min. Remove from the heat and whisk in

the cream a little at a time and then the milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until

smooth. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the mozzarella, toss with a fork to

mix, and then whisk the mixture into the sauce.

Stir the red pepper flakes into the olive oil in another large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the

sliced mushrooms and the ham. Sauté briefly and remove from the heat. Lift the dried mushrooms

out of the bowl with a slotted spoon and stir into the mushroom mixture.

Decant and add all but the last tablespoon of the soaking liquid. Add the tomatoes and stir into the

mozzarella sauce.

Stir the fettuccine into the boiling water and continue stirring for the first 2 min. of cooking. Cook for

the amount of time recommended on the package. Reheat the sauce. Drain the pasta and stir into

the skillet with the sauce. Cover and let stand for 1 min. Serve immediately.

Shirley O. Corriher teaches food science and cooking classes across the country. She's the

author of CookWise (William Morrow, 1997) and a contributing editor for Fine Cooking. Photos:

Sloan Howard. From FC #23, pp. 79-80.

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