Creamy mushroom pasta with garlic crumbs
A deeply savory cremini-mushroom sauce topped with crunchy garlic panko and brightened with parsley and lemon zest for balanced flavor and texture.
Cremini mushrooms pull double duty in the topping and sauce for this deeply savory pasta. Inspired by both cream of mushroom soup and stuffed mushrooms, the sauce for the pasta utilizes key flavors you may find in the soup -- shallots, garlic, dry wine -- while the crunchy panko topping mimics the stuffing of a stuffed mushroom. In order to get the most flavor out of the mushrooms, they are first sautéed without any oil or seasoning in a hot, dry pan. This technique helps to draw the moisture out of the mushrooms (which can muddy the other flavors and make the mushrooms squidgy), resulting in deeper flavor and better texture. To keep the dish from becoming one-note, fresh parsley and a hint of lemon zest in the topping adds brightness to each bite.