Nettle Pasta with Chive Morel Cream Sauce

This recipe first appeared at the June 10 Chef in the Market demonstration by Chef Todd Koebke, Culinary Arts Instructor for the Sabin-Schellenberg Center. It features Portland Farmers Market vendor Pasta Gardner’s nettle pasta, but you could use any fresh or dried pasta you prefer.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 cups of morels, cleaned (to clean, quickly soak in water to remove any dirt and debris that may be hidden in the holes of the morels)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup finely chopped chives
• Salt
• Pasta Gardner Nettle Pasta, 1 package

Method 

1. Heat large sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add 2 tablespoons butter and melt.
3. Add cleaned morels and garlic and sauté until slightly tender. Mushrooms will release liquid so continue to cook until the liquid is reduced.
4. Add heavy cream and reduce until the sauce lightly coats a spoon.
5. Finish with remaining tablespoon of butter and chopped chives and let reduce until sauce tightens up.
6. Salt to taste.
7. While sauce is reducing, bring 4-5 quarts of salted water to a boil.
8. Cook the pasta as directed on the package. Drain when al dente and reserve a bit of the pasta water, if needed to loosen the morel cream sauce.
9. Serve with Morel Chive cream sauce

Enjoy!