Fettuccine, Pumpkin, Shiitake & Mascarpone

Chef Jim Strausbaugh, while at Trilogy Resaturant - recipe

 

Pasta Ingredients:

           1#   All Purpose Flour

          5-6   Eggs

       pinch   Salt

                  Water if needed

 

Ingredients:

     4 cups   ½” pieces seeded, peeled, fresh sugar Pumpkin

       1½ T   Olive Oil

  4½ cups   Chicken Stock

       1 cup   Mascarpone Cheese

      ½ tsp   Ground Cinnamon

     ¼ cup   Butter

       12 oz   Shiitake Mushrooms, stemmed, thinly sliced

         1 pd   Fettuccine

    ²/₃ cup   Shelled Pumpkin Seeds, toasted

                  Grated Parmesan Cheese

 

Pasta Technique:

Ñ Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until crumbly.  Form into ball and let the dough rest until soft.  Roll out with pasta machine.

 

Technique:

Ñ Preheat oven to 450^oF.  Toss pumpkin with olive oil in large bowl to coat.  Transfer pumpkin to baking sheet. Bake until pumpkin is tender and beginning to brown, stirring once, about 30 minutes.

Ñ Transfer pumpkin to processor.  Add 2½ cups chicken stock.  Puree until smooth.  Add mascarpone cheese and ground cinnamon.  Process to blend.  Season with salt & pepper.

Ñ Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add remaining 2 cups chicken stock.  Boil until stock is reduced by half.

Ñ Reduce heat to low.  Stir in pumpkin mixture.  Season with salt & pepper.  (Can be prepared day ahead.  Cover & refrigerate.  Re-warm over medium heat before continuing.)

Ñ Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite.  Drain.  Transfer fettuccine to large bowl.  Add sauce and toasted pumpkin seeds; toss to coat.  Season with salt & pepper.  Serve, passing Parmesan cheese separately.

 

Yield: 8 servings