Orecchiette with Wild Mushrooms

This is a dish that is indicative of the Puglia region. Puglia is the heel of Italy, and the home of orecchiette (ear shaped) pasta. This is something that you would find in the fall there when fresh wild mushrooms are an abundant source of goodness. I used oyster, chanterelle and enoki mushrooms here, but you can mix and match any other mushrooms you like. I also use marsala wine which is from Sicily, yet I like how it works with mushrooms. You can easily substitute a Puglian red wine or sherry wine, or even a nice pinot noir.

TT = to taste

For Pasta:

1# Semolina Flour (3 1/2 cups)
1 1/4 cups water
3T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1T sea salt

For the Mushrooms:

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4# Oyster Mushrooms, pulled into individual pieces
1/4# Chanterelle Mushrooms
1/4# Enoki Mushrooms, pulled into individual pieces
4 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme, plus extra
2 sprigs rosemary
1/2 cup water
1/2c. - 1c. Marsala wine, you can also use a Puglian red as well
half stick of butter
TT Sea Salt
TT Black Pepper
Grated Cacciocavallo Cheese for garnish, substitute parmigiano reggiano cheese

Method:

Combine semolina, water, oil & salt together
mix until tough has come together
continue to knead for 10 minutes
let rest covered at room temperature for a half hour
once rested cut into 4 pieces
roll each piece into uniform 1/2 inch thick rope
cut each rope into 1 inch pieces
press your thumb down into cut side making a ear shape
place orecchiette on a sheet tray lined with parchment and dusted with flour
set aside

heat olive oil in large pan over medium heat
add oyster mushrooms to pan
saute for a couple minutes
add chanterelles to pan
saute for a couple minutes
add enoki mushrooms to pan
saute for a couple minutes
add garlic and saute for a couple minutes, add a little more olive oil if needed
add wine, rosemary & thyme and cook until liquid has reduced about 90% - about 15-20 minutes
season with salt & pepper and keep warm

bring 6qts of water to boil
add 2 T of salt to water
heat butter in large pan & cook until browned
add mushrooms to brown butter
add orecchiette in batches and cook until floating, about 2-3 minutes
transfer cooked pasta to large pan with the mushrooms & toss together
grate around a 1/4 cup of the cheese over the mushrooms and toss.
taste for seasoning
transfer to serving plates and garnish with some more fresh thyme and a little bit more of the grated cheese
serve immediately