Pasta bursting with umami from a Porcini Paradiso sauce, topped with luxuriously creamy burrata and earthy mushrooms — decadent comfort food at its finest.
Why This Recipe Works
- Blooming the Porcini Paradiso in olive oil: Gently frying the spice blend in fat releases its aromatics and distributes its flavor evenly through the sauce.
- Undercooking the pasta in boiling water: Finishing the pasta in the simmering sauce yields perfectly al dente pasta that soaks up more flavor.
- Using starchy pasta water: The reserved water helps thicken the sauce and ensures each strand or ribbon of pasta is well-coated.
- Finely grating the cheese: Microplane-grated Pecorino or similar cheese melts into a smoother, silkier sauce than coarsely shredded cheese.
This dish riffs on the classic Roman Cacio e Pepe, replacing the pepper with a fragrant Porcini Paradiso spice blend for deep, mushroom-forward umami.
Technique: Blooming Porcini Paradiso
Blooming means cooking dried spices in hot fat until they release their aroma. This step amplifies the Porcini Paradiso’s flavor and infuses the oil and butter that form the base of the sauce.
Technique: Finish Pasta in the Skillet
Adding slightly undercooked pasta to the simmering sauce lets it absorb flavor and reach ideal doneness. If the pan looks dry before the pasta is finished, add splashes of reserved starchy pasta water to loosen and emulsify the sauce.
Ingredients
Pasta, Porcini Paradiso, Burrata, Mushrooms — bring it on!
Pasta: Any long pasta works for this silky, saucy dish: pappardelle, tagliatelle, spaghetti, or fettuccine.
Porcini Paradiso: A spice blend of dried porcini mushrooms, garlic, rosemary and a touch of Calabrian chili that adds deep umami and fragrant warmth.
Burrata: A soft Italian cheese of mozzarella and cream. If unavailable, use fresh mozzarella or full-fat ricotta as alternatives.
Mushrooms: Use any fresh mushrooms or a mix — cremini, shiitake, oyster or wild mushrooms all work beautifully.
Cooks Tips
- Heavily salt the pasta water: Properly salted water seasons the pasta as it cooks for a tastier final dish.
- Bloom the Porcini Paradiso until very fragrant: Letting the blend cook briefly in the oil and butter releases its full aromatic potential.
- Undercook the pasta by 1–2 minutes: Finish it in the sauce for perfect al dente texture.
- Reserve pasta water: Use the starchy water to loosen and enrich the sauce as needed.
Have you tried this recipe? Share your results and tag @DanielaGerson on Instagram — it’s always a joy to see your takes on colorful, comforting food.
Let’s make waves in the kitchen!
Cacio e Porcini Paradiso
10 mins
30 mins
Ingredients
- kosher salt
- 1/2 pound long pasta such as pappardelle, tagliatelle or spaghetti (8 oz)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 pound mushrooms (8 oz), any variety or mix, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Porcini Paradiso
- 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, very finely grated
- 8 oz balls fresh burrata cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes less than package directions (it will finish in the sauce). Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
- Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, season with salt, and cook until they release their juices and begin to caramelize, about 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
- In the same or a clean large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add Porcini Paradiso and cook, swirling the pan, until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add a pinch of salt. Remove 1 tablespoon of this mixture and set aside for finishing.
- Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the skillet with the Porcini Paradiso and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and the remaining tablespoon of butter; toss with tongs until the pasta is evenly coated and perfectly al dente. Add more pasta water if the sauce seems dry.
- Remove the pan from heat and add the finely grated Pecorino, stirring and tossing until the cheese melts and forms a silky sauce.
- Transfer pasta to a serving dish or individual bowls, top with the sautéed mushrooms and pieces of burrata, then drizzle with the reserved Porcini Paradiso mixture.
Notes
- Salt the pasta water generously: Proper seasoning while cooking ensures flavorful pasta.
- Bloom the spice blend: Let the Porcini Paradiso become very fragrant in the oil and butter to maximize its flavor.
- Undercook the pasta slightly: Finish in the sauce for the best texture.
- Keep pasta water handy: Use it to adjust sauce consistency and help the sauce cling to the pasta.
Did you make this recipe? Please share and tag @DanielaGerson — I’d love to see your version!