Method
Sear, brown, emulsify
- Sear the mushrooms in a dry hot pan in batches until deeply golden; set aside. Crowding steams them — patience browns them.
- Melt the butter and cook until it smells nutty and the milk solids turn amber. Add shallots and garlic; soften 2 minutes.
- Return the mushrooms, add cream, and simmer 3 minutes. Keep warm over the lowest heat.
- Boil the pasta in aggressively salted water until just shy of done; drag it into the sauce with a mug of pasta water.
- Toss hard for 90 seconds until the sauce clings, shower with parmesan, thyme, and pepper, and finish with truffle oil.
Chef's notes
The pasta water is the recipe — its starch turns butter and cream into a sauce that coats instead of pools. Skip the truffle oil if you like; a grating of fresh truffle or even good olive oil keeps it luxurious.
