This is a really fast and easy mid week dinner. The dried porcini and their soaking liquid really beefs up the mushroomy flavour of the finished sauce, without them the dish can taste a bit insipid.

Ingredients (serves 2)

2 large shallots, peeled and finely sliced

1 large clove of garlic

20g dried porcini mushrooms soaked in 150ml boiling water

250g chestnut mushrooms

100ml white wine

70ml half fat crème fraîche

Chopped parsley

Grated parmesan

Salt and pepper

Linguine

Method

First up, soak the dried Porcini in boiling water and let them rehydrate. Next clean the chestnut mushrooms, chop off the ends of their stalks, cut them in half and then slice. Now fry the shallots and garlic in a little olive oil and butter until soft before adding the mushrooms. Season with a pinch of salt and some fresh ground black pepper.

As the mushrooms cook they’ll give up some liquid, when this has all but evaporated deglaze the pan with a couple of glugs of white wine.  Next add the revived Porcini. Take them out with a slotted spoon gently, and then add the soaking water. The soaking water should be brown and have loads mushroom flavour, but don’t add the last bit as the mushrooms often leave behind some grit, which you don’t want in the finished dish.

Gently reduce the slightly watery mushroom mixture, and at the same time put your pasta on. When it’s reduced by about a third, add the  crème fraîche, stir in and turn the heat right down. When the pasta is ready, drain, dress with a little olive oil and then divide into two bowls. Spoon over the mushroom mixture, sprinkle with a good quantity of grated Parmesan, and some chopped flat leaf parsley.

Eat as soon as it’s served with a glass of crisp white wine.