An elegant pasta, full of umami.
When cooked long enough mushroom become wonderfully crisp and develop a meaty flavor. Here these crispy delights are tossed in a brightly flavored spaghetti with Meyer lemon and thyme and topped with creamy ricotta cheese and fragrant toasted sage. This simple but elegant dinner is vegetarian and sauceless, but you won’t be missing the meat or the sauce.
Lemony Pasta with Crispy Mushrooms & Sage
Meaty pan-crisped mushrooms adorn this bright lemon-herb pasta dish which also features a topping of ricotta cheese and toasted sage leaves.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 leaves sage
- 8 oz mixed mushrooms cut into bite sized pieces if large
- Salt and pepper
- 8 oz dried spaghetti noodles
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 Meyer lemon or regular lemon
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium heat. When oil is hot add sage leaves and cook until browning, about 2-3 minutes, then turn over and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove leaves from oil, place on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
- Add mushrooms to oil that remains in pan, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Cook, stirring infrequently, until mushrooms have given off all their moisture and are browned and crispy, about 20 minutes.
- While mushrooms are cooking bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Boil noodles, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or per package directions for al dente pasta. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Return drained pasta to pot.
- Add butter, 2 teaspoons of thyme, zest and juice of Meyer lemon, and 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Stir until combined and butter has melted. Add crispy mushrooms with any oil remaining in pan and toss together. Add more pasta water as needed if it seems dry.
- Divide pasta and mushrooms onto plates. Top each with a few sage leaves and sprinkle with thyme. Add a few dollops of ricotta cheese and finish with fresh cracked black pepper.
