Angel Hair Pasta with Whipped Cream and Porcini Mushrooms

Enjoy a pasta dish that is simple, elegant and full of robust flavors. This quick and easy pasta recipe has an extraordinary amount of flavor. The porcini mushrooms add a subtle earthy flavor to the simple pasta recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shallots, chopped
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup angel hair pasta
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the porcini in a small bowl and and 1/2 cup warm water. Allow to soak 45 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid.
Heat a large frying pan. Add the oil and shallots, and sauti a minute. Add the fresh mushrooms and saute until tender.
Chop the porcini coarsely and add to the frying pan, along with the reserved liquid. Simmer until most of the liquid is evaporated.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil along with a pinch of salt.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it holds soft peaks. Refrigerate the whipped cream until the pasta is cooked.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Drain well, return the drained pasta to the pot and add the mushroom mixture, cheese, whipped cream and salt and pepper to taste.
Using a large spatula, fold all of the ingredients together. Do this quickly, yet carefully, so that the whipped cream doesn't collapse entirely. You may want to save a bit of the whipped cream to dollop on top of the pasta as a garnish. Serve immediately.