Serves 2
I must start by expressing my regret that we have not discovered these treasures and delicacies sooner and that the fresh ones come out only spring time. As the soil temperature starts rising in spring, the mushrooms push through the soil towards the light. It is a matter of a few days before they reach maturity and start drying out already. Once picked or bought, they need to be cooked pretty soon as they show signs of decay fairly soon. Morels contain a small amount of toxin and for that reason they need additional cleaning and they can never be served raw.
6-7 fresh morels
15 g/1 tbsp butter
200 g spaghetti
½ cup shelled fresh peas (alternatively, you can use frozen peas, thawed)
2 cups pouring cream
1 heaping tbsp thyme, chopped
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh basil for garnish
Brush any dirt from mushrooms gently as they tend to carry undesirable travelers.
Cut morels lengthwise. Fill a large bowl with cold water and a generous amount of salt and stir to dissolve. Add in morels. Let stand in salted water for 15 minutes stirring gently and occasionally. Salt will draw out any undesired dirt. Remove morels from water, discard water and repeat the cleaning and rinsing step until nothing is lingering at the bottom of the bowl. Drain and pat dry gently with some paper towel.
Heat up butter in a skillet. Add morels and cook them over medium-high heat until they start browning slightly, for about one minute on each side. Remove from heat and reserve.
Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water according to package directions.
Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and drain pasta. Set aside.
In a large skillet, cook cream, thyme, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add drained pasta, peas and Parmigiano. Toss to combine and heat through. Add some of the cooking water to loosen the pasta, if necessary.
Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and serve topped with the cooked morels and more Parmigiano. Garnish with fresh basil.
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