Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Linguine with Morels, Ramps, Sunchokes and Spinach

We splurged at the farmers market this weekend & bought some fresh morels. There was a recipe I remembered seeing on line with morels & cornbread I wanted to try but then couldn't find anywhere. While looking for that I ran across this recipe on Herboivoracious that called for morels, sunchokes & goat cheese all things I had on hand. 
Fettuccine with Morels, Sunchokes, Ramps & Spinach
From there I really changed the recipe quite a bit, substituting ramps for leeks, fresh spinach for spinach pasta plus  really sizing down the amount of pasta & cheese used. I also simplified the cooking technique quite a bit by not cooking each of the vegetables one at a time & then returning them to the pot.

The final result was really tasty, Matt said he never expected to like it as much as he did. My only complaint was the morels really got lost in all the other flavors which seems like a waste. Next time, I'll just use some crimini mushrooms instead. Really the star of this dish in the sunchokes. I never thought of adding them to pasta before but why not, you'd add artichokes & they have a really similar flavor.

Since a lot of the items in this dish are really seasonal I've added some substitution suggestions.

Linguine with Morels, Ramps, Sunchokes and Spinach

3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c half & half
3 oz goat cheese
1 T olive oil
4 sunchokes (about 6 oz), peeled & sliced 1/4-inch (or canned artichoke hearts, not marinated)
6 ramps bulbs, stems & leaves, slice & separate leaves from the rest (or one leek, white only)
4 fresh morels, quartered (or 4 - 5 crimini mushrooms)
red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
1 1/2 c spinach leaves
4 - 6 oz linguine
Parmesan

Put the garlic & half & half into a small pan & bring to a simmer. Let simmer until reduced slightly. Whisk in goat cheese until melted. Season with salt & pepper & set aside.

Start pasta cooking according to directions.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with high sides over medium-high heat. Add the sunchokes & cook until just starting to brown. Then add the ramp bulbs & stems & mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are tender. Season with salt, pepper & red pepper flakes. Stir in the ramp leaves & cook for about a minute. Add the spinach leaves.

When the pasta is cooked save about 1/3 cup of the pasta water & then drain pasta. Pour the hot pasta into the skillet over the spinach & toss until the spinach is slightly wilted. Add the goat cheese sauce & toss to coat adding the pasta cooking water if needed (We needed quite a bit).

Serve with grated Parmesan.

2 servings

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15 comments:

  1. I love morels, we used to go mushroom hunting in IL where I grew up. I wish I could find them for free in Utah! What a great way to use them!

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  2. you're really getting some mileage out of those ramps! great dish, kat.

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  3. This looks delicious. Mmmm...goat cheese. I just found the best goat cheese here in Lexington at the Farmer's Market. Produced right outside the city. Getting ready to do a post about it. Would love to use it in this dish.

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  4. This looks so creamy and comforting. I have not had morels yet. Too bad they were lost in the mix.

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  5. Yummy morels AND ramps! Beautiful!

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  6. What a beautiful bowl of pasta!

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  7. I adore morels and this looks fantastic!

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  8. Morels are so luxurious, and so pricey! This pasta looks great, esp the creamy sauce. :)

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  9. This looks delicious! I am jealous of morels!

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  10. I'm glad you liked the recipe! Your variations on it sound great. Have you noticed any, um, gastric distress post-facto? Since I originall wrote it, I've learned that Jerusalem artichokes have a tendency to cause what is sometimes politely referred to as wind :). I still like them but I keep my portions quite small.

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  11. Michael - I've never noticed a problem with sunchokes like that ever. We had them earlier in the week just roasted as a side dish too. Maybe I've just not paid attention ;)

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  12. A totally awesome pasta dish...Morels and ramps? How's that for earthy goodness!

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  13. How delicious! You are right - I'd never think of using Jerusalem artichokes for something like that!

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  14. Some of the best pasta we have ever had! Used all your recommendations. Crimini and Leeks. This was my first time cooking with sunchokes and will now start looking for recipes. I love them! Thanks you!

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  15. It always makes me laugh when I searching for recipes with specific ingredients and I'm pointed to your website. It happens far more than you'd think!

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