Tarragon Fettuccine
Think of this dish as a cross between chicken noodle soup and mushroom pasta. It's full of umami from cheese and mushrooms, and the carrots bring a lovely sweetness that balances everything out. Don't be deterred by the tarragon. It is a very delicate flavor in this dish.
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1 lb fettuccine (or linguine) pasta
5 large carrots, julienned
1 lb baby bella or white mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup tarragon sprigs
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable to make this dish vegetarian)
Pecorino or parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place the broth in a pot on low heat. Optionally, add a parmesan rind for extra flavor.
Begin warming the pasta water while you prepare the other ingredients.
Heat a large pan over medium heat with a generous amount of olive oil. Add the garlic and the shallots. Cook, stirring often, until it becomes slightly golden. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook until the liquid from the pan has evaporated and the mushrooms are dark brown. Take the mushrooms out of the pan, then add the carrots to the hot pan. Add a splash of broth so that the carrots steam. Cook until they are tender but not mushy.
Once the pasta water has boiled, cook the pasta as instructed in water as salty as the sea. Leave it about a minute from fully-cooked. Reserve 2 cups of starchy pasta water before draining.
Add the broth, mushrooms, pasta, 1 cup of the pasta water, and a few sprigs of tarragon to the carrot pan. Let it all cook together for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has absorbed some of the sauce and is cooked through. Add more pasta water if needed.
Serve with lots of grated parmesan or pecorino cheese!
