4ozfresh morelsrinsed in cold water to remove dirt, then dried on a towel for 30 minutes
¼cupchicken stock
¼cupdry white wine
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
Kosher salt and black pepperto taste
1tablespoonchopped fresh ramp bulbs
4ounceshop leaf fettuccinerecipe follows
Grating cheese of your choiceI used a little aged goat cheese, but pecorino or a nice parmesan would be great too.
Instructions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. In a large saute pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the morels and cook on medium-high heat until caramelized, then add the ramps and cook for 2 minutes more. Deglaze the pan with the wine, then reduce by half and add the chicken stock and hop shoots.
Cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes in the salted water, stirring occasionally, then drain in a colander and add to the pan with the morels, ramps and hop shoots. Toss the pan to coat the pasta with the liquid in the pan, then increase the heat a bit and add the remaining butter. Toss the pan to incorporate the butter and thicken the sauce, and double check the seasoning for salt and pepper. Make sure not to overcook the hop shoots.
To plate the pasta, using tongs, remove the pasta from the pan and place the pasta in 2 preheated bowls. Spoon the sauce, morels and hop shoots over the pasta, garnish with a little cheese if using, and serve immediately.
Notes
You could change this up in plenty of ways, adding some mixed spring vegetables like blanched peas, fava beans, or asparagus would be great.The horizantal plating style of this is a fun way to cook pasta and show off the ingredients inside it, as opposed to having everything en masse in a bowl. It's a restaurant trick, but one that's easy to do, you just use a tongs or forceps and twist the pasta, then arrange on the plate and garnish with the remaining ingredients.